


Demons and Angels are messy, but Naruto is always Messier

by Figgyfan14



Category: Naruto, Supernatural
Genre: Cambions, Demon!Kakashi, Demon!Sasuke, Gaara is a badass, I Don't Even Know, Iruka is a softie, M/M, Mpreg, Naruto is a Brat, Parent Umino Iruka, Supernatural-verse - Freeform, also adorable, so is dean, some Haku/Zabuza later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-26 01:19:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6218017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Figgyfan14/pseuds/Figgyfan14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you introduce your demon history teacher to your over-protective older brother, you usually don't expect to end up with a nephew. And when you meet the boy of your dreams twice in a few months, you sometimes end up in rather more trouble that usual. Especially when your only friend before that was a fox spirit and your uncle is a super-cool monster hunter. The apocalypse isn't going to know what hit it, and neither will the Winchesters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Naruto is a Ball of Energy and Kakashi thinks Iruka is Cute

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be a monster of a fic, and I'm not sure how well it's going to go, so comment if you like and I'm gonna keep at it!

When Iruka was nine, he lived in Oregon, Missouri with his parents and their newly adopted baby, Naruto. He loved Naruto from the first moment he looked into those blue eyes, and he helped in every way his parents allowed, sometimes even falling asleep with the baby in his arms.

He was ten when everything changed. His parents died in a house fire, and Iruka saved Naruto only by holding him under their father's old leather coat and jumping through the nursery window with him. He ended up with no home, no parents, a new scar across his nose, and a six month old child that he was fiercely protective of.

Enter, Jiraiya. That crazy old man was the only family left to them, their uncle or great uncle or whatever on Iruka’s father's side, and he was the only thing that kept them from going into the foster system, taking them into his home just 30 miles away in the slightly larger town of Maryville. Iruka was as stubborn then as Naruto would grow to be, and he was more protective than a mother bear. He hardly let Naruto out of his sight after that, even insisting they shared a room, and Jiraiya was more than happy to let him deal with the things that needed tending to, going out on “hunting trips” that often lead to him coming home injured, or staying away for days at a time. After school started for Iruka again, he had to limit his hunts to times they had a sitter for Naruto, but he never complained about that. He sometimes seemed almost as fond of Naruto as Iruka was.

As the boys grew, his trips got longer and more dangerous, leading Iruka to learn quite a bit of field medicine, though they never went with him. He would come home after a week or more, Iruka would patch him up, and Naruto would badger him into stories about the hunts. This lead to tales of everything from demons to dragons to vampires and witches, and Iruka would listen with a soft, exasperated smile, but Naruto never doubted a word.

Iruka was perhaps a bit overly protective of his little blonde brother, and it was only when Naruto was four that he started taking his brother out to the park and around town with him. This was when Naruto made his first friend.

A fox.

Well, a fox kit… That sometimes seemed a little too aware and human for Iruka’s tastes. He had at first steadfastly denied Naruto's request to take the fox home, but when he woke up to find the small creature sleeping on their porch the very next morning, there had been nothing he could say to make the child give up. So, they kept the fox. Naruto was way too excited about that.

But that bump in the road was just a pebble of a problem, and it was much later, when both boys were older and Iruka had just gotten his degree and started work at a preschool, that things really started to happen.

Being the only adult to have a steady influence on a 14 year old like Naruto was never going to be simple, but when Jiraiya filled his head with tales of hunting Demons that started house fires and decapitating vampires, well… it was only a matter of time before things got strange. Coming home to find a man about his age with a mask that covered most of his face, a headband over one eye, and a shock of grey hair that seemed to stand on end drinking tea in his kitchen and chatting idly with Naruto was not something one would expect. Then again, neither were most of the things that happened around Naruto. This could almost be considered tame when looking at the large scope of their lives.

“Naruto. I see you brought a friend home. Do you plan to introduce us?” Iruka was bone tired after the day of work he'd had, and he gladly poured himself a mug of tea, still hot enough to scald, as he sat next to his brother, keeping a wary eye on the stranger and slipping a hand to the small knife sheathed under the table.

“Oh, yes! Iruka, this was our substitute for Mr. Izumo this morning! You know, the teacher that went missing two days ago. Mr. Hatake just moved here, and I was telling him my theory about the vampire-”

“Naruto. Enough. There isn't a vampire, they don't exist. Jiraiya just likes to fill your head with nonsense.” Iruka watched his brother's face set stubbornly, and knew he had probably just walked his way into a week-long argument, but a chuckle from their guest brought the two out of their usual spat.

“Well, it is certainly fun to think that vampires may exist, but I doubt one took your teacher, Naruto. Shouldn't they have found a body drained of blood by now?” The teacher probably smiled then, his visible eye crinkling, but Iruka didn't appreciate the encouragement.

“But, Ru, Uncle Jiraiya went on another hunting trip as soon as the article about his disappearance was published!” Naruto insisted, then grinned at the grey-haired man. “Last time he went hunting, it was for a werewolf pack in Kansas.”

Iruka had to stop himself from grinding his teeth as the stranger laughed and coaxed him into telling that story. Kyuubi came down the stairs then, yawning from his nap, and leapt onto Naruto’s shoulder to curl around his neck, still as small as the day they'd first met. Naruto was still going on about the werewolves.

“-and these guys showed up to help him out, too, some guy named Bobby and his brother or friend or something John, and Jiraiya was so glad to see them, because there were twice as many werewolves as he had been expecting! Oh, hi, kit. Mr. Hatake, this is Kyuubi! He's-”

Iruka just sighed and went to change. His teacher wasn't anything to be upset over, especially with the way he let Naruto babble. Most people got annoyed with his younger brother for talking too much, but if someone other than him could attentively listen to the brat, that was a good thing.

A thud downstairs had Iruka rushing to see what had happened before he had even gotten a new shirt on, and when he got downstairs to see Naruto holding Hatake in a choke hold while they both laughed on the floor, he really had no idea if he wanted to know what had just occurred. He pulled the clean shirt he'd had in hand over his head and put his hands on his hips in what Naruto teased was his “mom pose”.

“Naru. Is your homework finished, or have you been playing around since you got home from school?” The mom voice, too. He tried not to be too harsh on his little bro, but sometimes it was like trying to raise a wild animal.

Naruto let got of his teacher. “Come on, Ru, you know I don't have any homework on the first day of classes! You just want a reason to mother me to death!” He protested, crossing his arms.

Iruka just gave him a satisfied smirk. “Well, as long as we're both clear on that, I'm going to have to ask you to take this opportunity to tell your new friend goodbye and-”

“Awwwww, but Ru! He just got here! He was supposed to show me some of his Marine fighting moves! Except he started out too easy, and I got him with that flip Jiraiya showed us. Did I mention our uncle has ninja skills he's taught us? Believe it!” Naruto was changing the subject, directing his question to Hatake, but the man hadn't even gotten an answer out before Iruka interrupted.

“Naruto, what did he also tell us about showing your hand before it's needed? That's how you get killed in a knife fight. Now tell Mr. Hatake goodbye, and go get your textbooks so we can look over your course material for the year. Please.” He added the nicety at the end because he knew Naruto would defy his orders until his dying breath but could never deny him a request. Even a rudely phrased one.

“Alright, alright. See you tomorrow, Mr. Hatake.” He scrambled up the stairs for their room after that, and the man still on the floor looked like he'd just undergone a case of whiplash. Common when it came to strangers seeing them interact.

Iruka offered the man his hand, helping him up and noting how warm his hands were. “Sorry to cut you short. I'm sure you have more interesting things to do than sit here and listen to us bicker, though.” He smiled at the taller male, watching the single dark eye look him over.

“Oh, I have nothing against watching you at all. You can call me Kakashi, Iruka. Kakashi Hatake, at your service.”

The silver-haired teacher winked at him and Iruka blushed, frowning at the man. “Um, yes, I… okay. Just… tell me if you have any troubles with the brat, okay? He's hard on new teachers. Likes to see how far he can push them.” The brunette was admittedly a tad confused by the bit of flirting, hyper-conscious of his old clothes and messy ponytail, and he shifted in place as they both heard Naruto dropping something heavy and cursing upstairs, breaking the strange energy in the room.

“Of course. I'll be seeing you around then, it seems. I'll show myself out.” Kakashi gave another eye crinkling smile and did just that, leaving Iruka to continue to blush and feel flustered.

Naruto cursed again upstairs and Kyuubi hurtled down the stairs to jump into the elder’s arms, bringing him out of his daze. He sighed and headed up to see what the trouble was.

~*~

“And did you get the blood in his drink?”

“Yes. At the school and in the tea at his house. His brother did get a hold of some of the tea, but I don't think he noticed it.”

“Good. Continue to monitor them. Take the position at the school and watch him. We'll be moving with them all soon. I still think the Winchester is our best bet, but the fox holds potential.”

“Yes, sir.”


	2. Iruka has Steady Hands and Jiraiya has a Bad Mouth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need sleep, but when I dream I get more plot bunnies, so I guess I'll just continue to do this...

Naruto had had the scars since before he came to live with Iruka and his parents, and every baby picture he had included them. He liked to think of them as whiskers, and Kyuubi said they looked quite like the markings he had when he was in his other form. Of course, Naruto couldn't confirm this, because Kyuubi had only ever been a little fox kit around him, but he believed his best friend as much as he believed Iruka.

That was a lot.

Kyuubi had also been a bit wary of his new teacher, and that made Naruto wary as well, but Kakashi was helpful and rather nice, if a bit of a pervert. He did read those Make-out Paradise books Iruka insisted Naruto couldn't look at, but he was a good history teacher.

History wasn’t Naruto's best subject, and he usually had to ask Iruka for help to memorize the dates and places and reasons for wars, but Kakashi was good about making sure everyone stayed caught up, and he had offered to tutor Naruto, though the blonde had teased him about just wanting to see Iruka. He wasn't naïve, he had seen the blush on his brother’s face when he came upstairs after Kakashi left.

Of course, Kakashi had laughed that off and decided to assign a pop quiz to torment him, but he was rather flirty with Iruka when he came to help Naruto study. He also seemed to have an obsession with teas, and was always carrying some, though Naruto would never complain about that. Iruka’s love of tea, passed from his mother, had rather rubbed off on Naruto, even if it didn't even touch his love of ramen.

Iruka had loosened up after the first few study sessions, even going on a date with the grey-haired teacher, though he wouldn't admit that was what it was to Naruto. He had seen them kiss on the porch, though. He knew what was going on.

Unfortunately, Kakashi being around more meant he was there when their uncle returned home from a rather rough hunt, and the rainstorm outside made it seem rather like the beginning of a murder mystery when he came in dripping rain and blood and cursing rather colorfully.

“Fucking son of a bitch, shoot me will you, well I'll blow your fucking brains out, you limp dicked psychopath-” He was muttering as he walked in to find a silver-haired stranger sitting at his table with the blonde brat scribbling notes next to him and Iruka stirring a pot on the stove.

“Uncle J!” Naruto shouted in excitement when he noticed the other blonde, and Iruka immediately saw the bloody cloth tied around his arm, grabbing his brother by the back of his shirt before he could tackle the man and hurt him more.

“Who the fuck have you brought into my house? Who are you? Why-” Jiraiya started, but Iruka interrupted him.

“Uncle, this is Kakashi Hatake. He's Naruto’s new teacher, and he's tutoring him. And staying for dinner, because I'm making ramen.” The brunette moved quickly to lead the older man out of the room, hoping Kakashi hadn't noticed him bleeding, but the other man had, of course.

“Does he need to go to the hospital? That's a lot of blood, sensei.” The Hatake had followed them into the living room, Naruto taking over the ramen, because he wasn't allowed to watch anyway, and Iruka blushed darkly at the nickname Kakashi had taken to calling him.

“He's fine, he doesn't do hospitals, I've been doing this since I was twelve.” After the second time watching the old man sew himself shut, Iruka had put his steady hands to use, but Kakashi didn't look convinced. The brunette ignored him and handed his uncle the bottle of whiskey they kept for such occasions. “I know what I'm doing.”

Usually he had a bullet to dig out, but it was easier when it went through, simply making sure he wasn't bleeding out, then sewing both sides of his arm shut. It was something Iruka was used to doing, and blood wasn't an issue for him.

Afterward, he did have to scrub his hands rather well, taking the medical kit back to the upstairs bathroom while he was at it. “You really have been doing this for a while, haven't you?” Kakashi spoke from just behind him as he stood at the sink, almost into his ear, making him jump.

“How are you so quiet? I swear I never hear you move.” Iruka grumbled, scrubbing the blood from under his nails, and paying no attention to the breath on his neck… No attention he'd admit to, at least.

“Well, Naruto may think he has… ninja skills. But I can tell you mine are much more impressive.”

Iruka snorted and glanced into the mirror over the sink, noting the mask Kakashi wore in public was pulled down to reveal a smirk that sent shivers down his spine. He has never seen him without it unless it was dark and they were kissing, meaning he had never really seen him without it before now, but a smirk like that should be illegal. “Well, you'll have to show me these skills of yours sometime. I do have more than just steady hands and charming bedside manner on my side.” Okay, that was some pretty brash flirting coming out of his mouth, but he resolutely blamed it on the gleam in the other’s eye.

“That sounds like a great plan, sensei.” Kakashi murmured into his ear and gave it a nip, turning the brunette into a beet.

“Ru! Kakashi! Ramen’s done!” Naruto shouted from downstairs, once again breaking the atmosphere. How much atmosphere could be attributed to a bathroom, though? The shorter teacher replaced the medical kit in the cabinet as he had come to do and dried his hands, satisfied that they were clean enough.

“Right, ramen, let's-”

“Of course.” The mask was back when he turned around, and the grey-haired man was out the door a moment later, silent as ever. He took a moment to calm the blood that had rushed to his face before going down. He found Jiraiya asleep in his recliner and Naruto happily spooning out bowls of the delicious smelling ramen while Kakashi poured their drinks.

Kyuubi had his own bowl, as usual, because of course Naruto's only friend would like the stuff as much as he did, and Kakashi seemed to somehow only drink or eat when they were all distracted, doing so without any of them catching a glimpse at his face. It really was a mystery. Iruka would have tried to catch him, but he didn't want to be caught staring. It didn't take long for Naruto to eat most of the ramen, and Kakashi was soon leaving, promising Naruto some lessons in ninja skills the next day, since it would be a Saturday.

Iruka wasn't sure if that was literal or a euphemism, since he had the man’s eye the whole time he spoke.

“Naruto, brush your teeth, it's time for bed.” He sighed, watching his brother grab Kyuubi before rushing upstairs. “And I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Hatake.”

“Oh, I wouldn't dream of missing it, sensei.” The other replied, suddenly very close, before his mouth was captured in a stunning kiss.

“You better not.” Iruka whispered when he pulled away, and the other was gone when he opened his eyes.

~*~

A shock of grey hair and one red eye that seemed to glow in the dark room.“Is that a bullet you're digging from your leg?”

Eerie yellow eyes and a grunt of pain. “Yes. I shot him back and got out of there, but this bullet had a pentagram carved into it, the bastard. Next time, I'll be more prepared.”

“Well, I came to report an increase in the fox’s stamina and energy. His chakra levels are skyrocketing. He even managed to land a punch that dislocated my shoulder last time we sparred. I played it off, of course, but it was rather a nuisance.”

A bullet falls to the ground with a metallic click. “Sounds promising. That old fool hasn't taken him hunting, has he?”

“No, the elder doesn't even believe we exist, and the fox is so easily persuaded to think he's right. Nothing can make this plan go wrong.”

“Good. Keep watching. Lilith is making too much of a stir, the Winchesters are hunting us more… We don't need anyone helping them.”

“Understood, sir.”


	3. Potential in Strength and Friendship

Kakashi Hatake had been around for a long time.

He had known thousands of humans, hundreds of years, dozens of lovers, and in all that time only a handful of truly good people. He could count them on one hand, actually, and two of those people were a pair of brothers he had met only recently, but they had already proven themselves to be the best kind of person.

And he was betraying them.

Oh, sure, he himself was nowhere near good. He was a demon, after all. He read pervy novels and had never really cared for anyone in his life, caring even less in his death. Very little appealed to the dead, after all, and that number dropped when one was tortured for a hundred years or so and became a demon, switching places to do the torturing himself. Freedom was just about the only thing that sounded important enough to care about, and that meant he had to do this.

He had to betray the first pure souls he'd met in hundreds of years.

Pakkun was another pure soul, and was his most loyal friend in the afterlife. A hellhound wasn't considered particularly friendly or pure by most, but Pakkun was… loyal. That was better than most beings he'd encountered. He had had a friend during his life, a man by the name of Gai, who was as exuberant as Kakashi was lazy, but Gai hadn't ended up in the same place he did when they died.

Gai had been a truly good person, as good as Naruto and Iruka.

Seducing Iruka was easier than Kakashi had thought it would be. The teacher was of a slightly nervous nature, but relaxed significantly around his brother, so it was easiest to catch him off guard when Naruto was in a different room and tease him while he was more nervous and easily flustered. The tactic wasn't as easily used as planned, since Iruka and Naruto seemed to be a binary astral system that gravitated around each other, but when they were apart it was horribly easy to get the man to blush and fidget.

He had noticed Iruka was always rubbing the scar over his nose when he was nervous or thinking too much, and that was usually when he struck, by getting in his face or coming up behind him. It helped to be quick, because that made him more nervous than ever, but even just being quiet as he moved to press against the small teacher's back was enough to get a reaction.

Naruto may have been his brother, but he was a completely different story. He wasn't nervous about anything, as far as Kakashi could tell, brash and loud as he played pranks on any and all. He didn't have any good friends, drifting from group to group as he pleased, but he always had a smile on his face that was bright enough to blind. Kakashi didn't know if he was a drifter by choice or because the other children seemed to shun him. He didn't know which had happened first.

The blonde never let it get to him, blue eyes shining brightly in the face of adversity, and that was a truly admirable trait for a human to have.

Kakashi watched the boy enter his classroom with lidded eyes, adjusting the band over his left eye. The room filled with children laughing and talking and generally being a nuisance, until a new boy came up to his desk, hair an odd shade of red and what appeared to be a tattoo on his forehead. He looked oddly familiar, but Kakashi brushed the thought away.

“Gaara Suna, Mr. Hatake. This is World History, yes?” The ginger spoke with a soft but confident voice, and Kakashi simply nodded and pointed him toward the empty seat next to Naruto.

“It is. You can take the seat next to the blonde there, class is just about to start.” Kakashi once again pushed the feeling of familiarity away as he started his spiel of World War 1. It had been a terrible few years for him and he hated to think about them, but it was required, apparently. What a bother.

His choice to push the quiet Gaara and the overly exuberant Naruto together didn't show any effects until lunch that day. Naruto usually came to bother him at lunch or floated around the cafeteria, but that day he seemed glued to the quiet ginger, babbling into his ear even as the other just calmly ate and stared at him with a blank expression. It was almost enough to pull a laugh from Kakashi, but that quickly stuck in his throat as one of the larger bullies of the school approached the pair.

It was a senior by the name of Kisame, if Kakashi remembered correctly, and he appeared to be carrying a large glass of a no-doubt-sticky liquid, approaching their table at Gaara’s back. That was a bad move. Naruto could see him and his shark-like grin coming, and Kakashi got to see how their training had paid off. The blonde vaulted over the table in a move too quick for most to detect, knocking the bottom of the glass up so that whatever had been about to go over Gaara's head went into Kisame’s face instead.

“Hey, if you've got a problem, you can take it up with me, but you won't be messing with Gaara, ya got that?” The blonde growled out, Kakashi getting his first look at the violence and anger the the demon blood would bring. He was across the cafeteria in a moment when the senior pulled his fist back as if to strike.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you. Go back to your lunch table and don't approach him again.” Kakashi spoke with a tone of command that he usually saved for underlings, only softening it slightly so it wouldn't be noticed by the rest of now-silent cafeteria. Kisame snorted and sneered at the three, but did as he was told, and Kakashi dropped a hand onto the blonde’s head, ruffling his hair.

Naruto grinned at him, blue eyes as sparkly as ever. “Did you see that? Ninja reflexes, right? Believe it!” He turned his grin from Kakashi to Gaara, and the demon noted a slight smile to the ginger’s face. Maybe he had misinterpreted the relationship there.

“Pretty good for ninja reflexes, yeah. Also stupid to challenge a man twice your height.” He watched Naruto’s face contort in indignation and laughed aloud.

“Hey, I can take you down, and you're almost as tall as he is, and you're a better fighter than some dumb jock-” This made him laugh even more.

“You think you can take me down, that doesn't mean you can when I'm not going easy on you.” Kakashi corrected, glad to notice the noise levels elevating as people no longer paid them any attention. “But you did do something brave in defending your new friend, maybe I should convince Iruka to have ramen at Ichiraku's tonight.”

The grin on Naruto’s face at that line looked like it would split in half. “Yes! That would be awesome! Can we bring Gaara with us? He likes ramen, and he just moved here with his mother, so he doesn't know anyone yet! Kyuubi will want to meet him, he loves to meet new people, and he loves ramen too! Almost as much as me! He'll like Gaara, believe it!”

Kakashi regarded the ginger with a tilt of his head, still finding it unnerving that he seemed to recognize him. This looked like a rather opportune time to figure out why, if he could. “Well, as long as Kyuubi approves… and his mother, of course.” That got another grin from Naruto, who immediately started singing the praises of Ichiraku’s to Gaara, letting Kakashi slip away.

Life with this strange little family in it was certainly more interesting, if also more dangerous for a demon to fall into.


	4. Brothers: Tanuki and Fox

Naruto sat in his and Iruka’s room that night, listening to Iruka and Kakashi’s voices in the living room below them and petting the fox he held gently. “Come on, Kurama, he can't be like us! You saw how lonely he was. If he was also a jinchuuriki, wouldn't his beast keep him as happy as you do me?” Naruto whispered, sighing when his kit glanced around quickly at the use of his real name. He didn't know why using the term Kyuubi was safer than just calling him Kurama. “Sorry. But what makes you think he's like us?”

Kurama shifted and sighed. “He smelled like a jinchuuriki. And you said his mother’s name was Shukaku, yes? I'm relatively certain my brother kills anyone who attempts to use his name. Has for a long time, it's said to be cursed in some areas. He has a bit of a god complex, I'm not even sure why he would allow his pup to go somewhere with a new friend.”

A voice from the shadows under Iruka’s bed sent both of them on the offensive. “Because I could smell you on this new kit of yours, of course.” A small creature that looked like a mix between a raccoon and a dog appeared from under the bed and Naruto was on his feet immediately, instincts telling him to fight, even as Kurama cursed at him.

“Who are-”

“Naruto! Stay out of this, you brat! Sit down!” The fox interrupted him curtly, seeming to grow in size as he leapt to stand in front of the tanuki.

“But-”

“No.”

Naruto huffed and ground his teeth, a sound that was nearly a growl of frustration getting a chuckle from the other animal.

“Oh, this one must be a nice jinchuuriki, you found him young, didn't you?”

Kurama narrowed his eyes and let out a real growl. “Not as young as you found yours, it would seem. Right, mother?”

The taunts had them both of the defensive, but a loud laugh from downstairs reminded them of where they were.

“If you came here to cause trouble, you should know my house is one of hunters. They could probably track even you if you bring any harm to my jinchuuriki.”

Shukaku snorted. “They have this house so covered in demon traps and magic that I wouldn't have been able to enter if I had intended any harm, and you know it. You may not be my favorite sibling, but I wouldn't sabotage one of my own.” He forced himself to back up a step and lower himself to the carpet, laying down in a non verbal request for peace. “You've felt the malice that is stirring, the same as I have.”

Kurama knew he wasn't any of their brothers’ favorite. He may have made a few angry comments about being the oldest and most powerful. But that didn't mean he was going to fight, here of all places, putting his kit in danger. He was surprised Naruto still hadn't said anything more, glancing back as he too laid down. The brat was asleep, of course. It was the only time he was silent. He let out a snore. Well, quiet, at least.

“I have felt it.” He sighed as he turned back to the tanuki. “Naruto has too. He's been acting strange lately, and I can't figure out why.”

Shukaku growled and glanced at the sleeping blonde. “I wonder if they're doing to him what they were doing to Gaara. The only reason I'm here is the pitiful twisted human souls that call themselves demons are moving in odd ways. I've been raising my pup since his parents were killed in a fire when he was six months old, and someone at his school started feeding him demon blood a three months ago. I noticed, of course, but I didn't do anything about it until they attempted to kidnap him from our home last week. That's why I'm here. I killed the demons and fled. You were the closest of our brothers.” He sneered as he remembered the attack. “They can't even identify us, they're so young and pathetic. They think they're the only power out there. They haven't even thought about the ancient powers. Probably don't even believe in angels.” The tanuki was muttering now, and Kurama was deep in thought.

“The man downstairs is a demon. Higher level than any I've met, but he hasn't identified me either. The only reason I allow him to continue is the same reason I didn't attack you immediately. He intends no harm, though he does feed Naruto his blood. I have yet to figure out the purpose. It makes him stronger and faster. A better fighter. But maybe it also makes him edgier. Maybe that's why he's been acting strange.” The fox mused aloud, unaware that he had Shukaku’s attention.

“That fits with the results of the blood in Gaara. Why would that demon be here if he didn't intend to harm your jinchuuriki, though?” The younger beast growled and turned his ears to the noise of the house, picking up the conversation downstairs.

Iruka was speaking. “Well then, thank you for sitting Gaara next to Naruto in the first place. He's had some troubles making friends in the past, but he always seems content with just Kyuubi and me… I have to admit I haven't pushed him to break out of that box, either.”

A deeper chuckle that must be the teacher Kakashi was heard. “I don't think he would want it any other way. He seems very particular about the people he chooses for company. He could be like anyone else and have a hundred fake friends, but it's good that he chooses better than that.”

“I didn't raise him to be just like everyone else, that's for sure.” A nervous chuckle from Iruka followed this statement.

“I think you've done a good job with that.” Kakashi answered, voice lower, and then the sounds of kissing could be heard, the tanuki and fox both bringing their attention back to the room.

“I don't like him talking about my pup. If you think he's a danger, tell me now so I can leave here.” Shukaku huffed, standing. They were at the end of the conversation and could go one way or the other. Kurama thought hard before deciding on an answer.

“He's changed somehow since he first came here. I would have told you to run then, as fast and far as you can, but I don't think we need to worry about him harming our jinchuuriki.” He decided, knowing that was a lot of trust to place in a human so twisted he had become a force of darkness, but he thought it was true.

The canine sighed and nodded. “Thank you. I will help to protect your kit as long as he poses no threat to Gaara, and I hope you will do the same for me, brother.” He was gone in a moment after that, and the fox just sighed and hopped onto the bed to curl up next to Naruto and sleep.


	5. Bruises and Moans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexy times with Kakashi and Iruka ahead, folks, so if you wanna skip them, don't read this chapter

Iruka had never been with a man before. Hell, he had never been in a relationship at all. Being near Kakashi and feeling his warmth and his hands and mouth on him made a fire light inside him that had never been there before, and it was equal parts exciting and terrifying. It may have even been exciting because it was terrifying.

The house was so quiet at night, and Iruka had had maybe a few too many glasses of good beer, and he was probably not in the state a sober him would approve of, as he straddled Kakashi's hips on the couch, kissing him enthusiastically. His very skin seemed to be on fire wherever the older man’s hands trailed, which was a lot of places, and the thought that kept going through Iruka’s mind was just “More.”

He wanted more skin, more touching, more kissing, more everything. Kakashi was giving that to him in slow increments, they were both shirtless now, and Iruka knew that after the day’s excitement he could be fairly sure Naruto was asleep, so he wasn't nervous about being interrupted. He was slightly nervous about the grey-haired man’s tongue lapping at his nipple, but that was gone in less than three seconds, turning to pleasure and excitement, pulling moans from his throat.

This was as far as they'd ever gone. Last time they had a make out session, Iruka had come in his pants with Kakashi's hands all over him and his mouth latched onto what was now a bruise on his neck. Talk about embarrassing.

He had a feeling Kakashi knew he was a virgin after that, though the man had been terribly kind about it.

Now, he had no idea what was going on in the other’s head as he rocked their crotches together and whimpered whenever those sharp white teeth skimmed over his skin. He had a bold moment and started to undo Kakashi's belt, taking a go ahead from the pleased hum and lifting of hips. Iruka’s usually-steady hands shook slightly, and that got the other's attention.

“Iruka.” He murmured as he leaned back into the cushions and brought a hand up through the fluffy brown hair he'd freed earlier. “Do you want that? Are you sure?” He murmured, keeping firm eye contact. This made the younger pause to chew his lip and shift.

“Yes… but I've never done this before. That's what makes me nervous.” He always felt like he couldn't lie to Kakashi even if he wanted to, so he ended up telling the other things he would probably never tell another person. At least, not tell them so easily.

This got him a reassuring smile, though, as Kakashi pulled him into another kiss, working both of their buttons and zippers with deft fingers. He let Iruka remove his own pants, slipping out of his at the same time, and quickly pulling the smaller back to him afterward. Iruka let himself be drawn down onto the couch, Kakashi on top of him that time.

“C-can we-” Iruka broke off with a moan as long fingers wrapped around his cock and lips found the bruise on his neck again. “I want-” He wasn't going to get very far into this if Kakashi kept this up, but the older seemed to know this and also wasn't pausing. Iruka realized why when he closed his eyes and whined only to feel the other slide down, and suddenly there was a mouth on him.

“Fuck!” Iruka cursed, something he didn't do very often at all, which got a chuckle from the mouth currently around his cock, even as said mouth applied the most delicious suction. It took no time at all before the small teacher was shuddering and came with a moan he muffled into the couch.

“Do you still want more?” Kakashi murmured, licking his lips as he moved back up to kiss Iruka again. He got a hum and fingers sliding down his ribs in response, one of the tan hands wrapping around his cock.

“Can we just-”

“Yes.” Kakashi groaned and moved his mouth at Iruka’s sensitive neck, biting down gently and sucking. It made Iruka miss a beat as he whimpered and arched his neck, but that just made him bite down a bit harder.

Iruka had never known that something like that could be so pleasurable, but his cock twitched when Kakashi bit down, and he increased his speed, adding a twist at the end of each pull. “H-harder.” He whined, moaning loudly when Kakashi complied.

The grey-haired man had found himself turned on to strange degree, hearing the submissive noises coming out of his little teacher, and shoved any thoughts of why away, immersing himself in the feeling until he came with a grunt, jaws tightening slightly more. He could feel Iruka twitch against his hip again, and if he had been in a clearer mind he would have felt a rather large amount of satisfaction to know he could bring the man pleasure so soon after an orgasm.

“That's gonna be a mess to clean up.” He murmured, lapping gently at the new bruise on the brunette's neck. “Did I hurt you?”

Iruka shivered at the gentle touch. “No… That was great.” He pulled Kakashi up into a kiss. “Just. Wow. And. A little ow, I guess.” He could feel a twinge of pain in the muscles of his neck, but it was still just a turn on. It would no doubt be rather sore in the morning, however.

“Good.” Kakashi chuckled and moved off him, pulling on boxers. They were on the couch, after all, no one wanted Naruto to walk down the stairs and find them naked, but Iruka took a moment to memorize the feeling, even as Kakashi came back with paper towels for them both. At least it was the weekend.

“Would you want to stay?” Iruka didn't know where the question came from. He could hear Naruto and Jiraiya both snoring upstairs, and watched surprise cross the other’s face momentarily before Kakashi pulled his shirt over his head and came out with a muted expression. “I mean, I understand if you don't, you probably have things to do and-” He had started to dress as well, no longer a sticky mess, and using the movement to hide his blush.

“Sure.” The reply came quickly once the brunette tried to make excuses for him, and Kakashi didn't know if he was doing it because he wanted to or because he was still trying to insert himself further into the mission. He wasn't going to look too closely at the motives either. “Do you want to stay down here or go upstairs?” Kakashi had seen their bedroom, he knew Iruka and Naruto shared the space, but he didn't think anything could wake up a sleeping Naruto.

Iruka seemed to be thinking the same way. He was still just loosely holding his shirt and didn't seem to have any plans for putting it back on, and he hesitantly took the older teacher’s hand, pulling him up the stairs and down the hall. He didn't pause at the closed door, opening it softly to avoid squeaking and dragging Kakashi inside and over to his bed. Kakashi watched the light from the hall reflect for a moment off Kyuubi's eyes, but then Iruka closed the door and it was dark and silent of noise except for Naruto’s snores. He stripped his shirt off and tossed it in the general direction the laundry basket he remembered, and Iruka snorted when he heard it hit the wall instead.

“Smooth, Kashi.” Iruka murmured, slipping under the blankets and leaving himself a safe distance between their sides as he settled in. The other rolled his eyes and shifted closer to press their shoulders together, and Iruka was firmly asleep shortly after, leaving Kakashi to his thoughts.

Not that he would admit it even to himself, but most of his thoughts that night were rather mutinous in nature, and the ones that weren't directly so centered on the strangely happy twist his life had taken and lead to the mutinous ones. He had never considered it before… and he wasn't entirely sure he was ready to just yet.


	6. Kidnapping

The first thing Naruto noticed when he woke up was a pounding in his head and a numb tingling in his fingers. Where was he? How had he gotten there?

He tried to think past the pain in his brain, remembering waking up to Iruka and Kakashi spooning in bed for the third morning in a row. It was Thanksgiving, and he had gone to invite Shukaku and and Gaara to have dinner with them, since Gaara had said they hadn't ever celebrated it. What country did they move from again? Canada? Arizona? He didn't know.

He… hadn't made it there. He had left the house and…

The pain was too much for him to remember after that, but that did give him a clue. And why-

His fingers tingled and he couldn't move his hands. They were tied behind his back too securely, possibly connected to the chair he was in somehow. He didn't know where he was or why he was there, but he was going to kill someone for this when he got loose. Or Kurama would when he tracked him down. He really hoped Kurama could track him down.

“Are you awake yet?” A bored voice spoke from close by, but Naruto didn't know if he wanted to open his eyes yet. He had to try, though.

Okay, that was painful. He barely cracked his eyes open and then groaned loudly. “Did you drug me?” he was pretty sure this was what Jiraiya complained about when he had a hangover.

“After your stubborn ass tried to rip me from this body. They really have you juiced up, I don't even think you knew what you were doing.” That made no sense to Naruto, but when the other stepped closer and he could make out his face more distinctly with the blurred vision, he could vaguely remember a bit of a fight and the other choking on some black smoke.

Pale features and blue-black hair that Naruto thought looked kinda like a duck butt greeted him as he blinked away the confusion of the drugs. “What? Rip-” He could remember anger and panic and a need to be released… “I don't…”

“No. That's what the drugs were for. You won't remember.” Black eyes flashed red for a moment, and Naruto felt fear crowding his throat. “I know you won't believe me, but this is for your own good. You needed to run while you still could. They're bringing in your friend Gaara as we speak. He may have gotten away once, but he's still a target.”

“What? Gaara? Leave him out of this!” Naruto growled, straining at the ties on his wrists for the first time. They were too tight, and he felt himself starting to bleed.

“Look, we aren't going to hurt your friend, or you for that matter. I said we're trying to help you okay? Not everyone wants that egomaniac to start the apocalypse.” Egomaniac? Apocalypse? The other sat in a chair by the only door to the room, crossing his arms.

“What do you mean apocalypse? And-and what are you?” He remembered his eyes flashing red and it was still chilling his blood.

An annoyed sigh was the only answer he got for a moment. “I’m a demon. I know your uncle is a hunter, hasn't he told you this? Are you telling me you haven't heard about the fools attempting to start the apocalypse? Clueless.” He muttered the last bit under his breath and Naruto bristled immediately. Man, the longer he was around this guy, the more he hated him on principal.

“Well, Kyuubi won't let anyone use me to start the apocalypse, or Gaara! So you can let us both go and we'll be fine on our own! Believe it!” Naruto insisted angrily, looking up in worry when the door opened and a boy with spiky brown hair and red markings down his cheeks entered, carrying Gaara. The small ginger was limp in his arms and was bleeding slightly from the back of his head, but what really scared Naruto was the huge hound that followed him into the room.

“Kiba. You're late.” The man that had been speaking to him was up in a moment and moving the chair to the center of the room like Naruto’s.

“Yeah, yeah, you try getting this kid away from his crazy mother. It was no walk in the park. I had to wait them out, you heard what happened to the last demons to go near him.” The new boy was saying as he sat Gaara in the other chair and started to secure his hands like they had Naruto’s. The blonde frowned and fidgeted with his bleeding wrists.

“Don't tie him so tight. You tied mine too tight, tie him looser or you'll hurt him.” He wasn't usually one of asking favors from kidnappers, but the calculating black eyes that appraised him seemed to find his concern sincere.

“This one won't be able to hurt us, he's been off the demon blood for at least a month. Leave him untied, I can handle them.” The demon decided, and Naruto turned his face away so he wouldn't see the surprise that colored it.

“Whatever you say, Sasuke. Watch your back. The others have their elite after us. I heard Kakashi is even out looking for them, though they say he may not be doing it on orders…” The brunette, Kiba, seemed like he was sharing a secret as he said this, and that sent Naruto's mind racing. 

“K-kakashi? No. He can't be-”

“Shut up. Yes, that Kakashi. Yes, he's banging your brother. No, it isn't impossible he betrayed you. Demons do it all the time. You were his assignment. Dating someone close to you made it easy. Be quiet already. There are rumours he's switched sides, anyway. Apparently your brother is a good fuck, but no one knows for sure if the rumours are true.” The clipped tones and edge of possible repercussions for any response got Naruto to just quietly grind his teeth and go back to attempting to get out of his bonds. The brunette was still there for the moment, watching things pan out in interest, but he wrinkled his nose as Naruto felt himself start to bleed more.

“Stop the squirming, you'll bleed out. Sasuke, you should retie him so he isn't hurting himself. Or just untie him, you could keep him under.” Kiba suggested, getting a dark look from Sasuke.

“I'm not touching those ties, there's a reason they're so tight. That one almost killed me trying to get free.” He huffed, leaning against the wall. The brunette shrugged and made for the door.

“Whatever, man, don't blame me when he dies on you and Kakashi rips your heart out. Or worse, sends his hounds to do it.” The demon shuddered like that was the worst thing he could think about happening, slipping out the door quickly.

Naruto had stopped struggling, but he could still hear the steady drop of his blood onto the concrete floor. The florescent lights overhead let him easily see the small puddle that was growing behind him as he looked over his shoulder.

“Kyuubi is going to kill you if Shukaku doesn't find us first. She's more likely to torture you. And if Kakashi really is a demon, there's no way he's using me to start the apocalypse. He's- he's nice. Nicer than most people. Even if he is a little pervy and weird sometimes.”

Naruto was so sure of himself, and this gave Sasuke pause. Shukaku and Kyuubi, he recognized the names, but surely… no, there was no way these two were important enough to be protected by some mythical creatures no one thought existed. Well, not anymore. He snorted and looked over at the ginger as he stirred.

“We'll see about that, Blondie.” He muttered, though he did move around Naruto and check his wrists. They weren't too bad, so he simply loosened the ties a bit and moved over to stand in front of the groaning Gaara. “Come on, wake up.” The demon huffed.

The other was awake in a moment, hearing the unfamiliar voice, and Naruto and Sasuke were both immensely surprised when he immediately burst into action, attacking his captor in what appeared, to Naruto, to be some form of martial arts. He hadn't expected such a thing from his quiet friend. He still didn't know too much about the thoughts that went through that brain, if he was honest, but this was certainly not something he had expected.

The fight was over very quickly, however. Even the strongest and fastest of humans was no match for a demon who could apparently use some sort of force trick to immobilize a person. Seeing Gaara still in mid air as he obviously strained to move was even more strange than seeing the fury and violence in his movements moments before.

“I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. Don't tie him so tight, you'll hurt him. Because he's a delicate flower of a person, right?” Sasuke snorted at Naruto, and the blonde watched shock flow over Gaara’s face at these statements.

“Hey, you were the one that didn't tie him up at all! I just didn't want him hurt!” Naruto snapped back, once again starting to struggle against his ties as Sasuke approached the ginger. For someone as small and delicate-looking as Gaara Suna, he could fight well. He had even managed to get a hit on Sasuke before the demon could stop him.

“Demon scum! You can't keep me here! I won't help you! I'll skin you alive and crush what's left of your filthy soul!” Gaara hissed out, recovering from his shock quickly. Naruto blinked quickly, confused.

“You know about all this?” The blonde whispered his question, but it seemed to sit heavily on the room. A look of guilt passed through the smaller’s eyes, but was quickly shoved away, leaving them blank to the sight of most. Naruto could see hesitation left in the slightest twitches of his face, reading him easily from his month of experience. “You did. But… what's going on? How did you know?”

Gaara sighed and relaxed, staring at Sasuke until he let him go. He knew he couldn't do any damage here, sitting back in the chair he had woken up in. “Shukaku keeps no secrets from me, Naruto. I know she isn't my true mother. But she is in a way that you can't understand. And someone is gathering people with power, feeding them the blood of Demons, and weeding out the weaklings. They're going to find the strongest and use him to start the apocalypse. The plan has been in motion for over 20 years. Demon activity has escalated and hunters like Jiraiya are doing everything they can to catch up…” Naruto thought this might be more words than he had ever heard his friend speak.

“But why me? Why you? And you!” He turned to Sasuke now. “What do you mean you're trying to keep this from happening? What are you doing to stop it? What the hell do you want from me and Gaara? Why not someone else!” Naruto had rarely been this angry, though the impassioned tone was one that people who knew him heard on an almost daily basis. Sasuke thought it was getting tiring very quickly.

“You are two of the strongest candidates. We couldn't get close enough to the Winchester, or we'd have taken him too.” He paused for a moment and grimaced. “You were both easy to get to, I'm surprised they didn't take you sooner themselves. Azazel and Ruby and Itachi have been working endlessly to get their chosen ready, why Kakashi hasn't taken you from the school is still undetermined.”

He really didn't like being this in the dark. Naruto sometimes felt like he didn't know anything at all because of all the things other people knew that he was oblivious to. Unfortunately, it was that moment, just as he was starting to learn something, that the door to the room slammed open.

Kakashi was standing in the doorway, no longer wearing his headband over his eye, one eye its normal grey and the other as red as Sasuke’s had been. As if that wasn't bad enough, he was surrounded by the scariest pack of ghostly hounds Naruto had ever seen. This day just kept getting better.


	7. Morning Sex is Best, but Kakashi May Prefer the Killing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full on sex in this chapter, but only the first half of it! Then it's Kakashi to the rescue!

This day just keeps getting better, Iruka thought to himself as he woke up to the smell of food coming from downstairs, a warm chest tucked against his back and strong arms around his waist.

He didn't know if it was Naruto or Jiraiya cooking, though it could also be Gaara from the amount of time Naruto had been spending with him. It smelled better than what Naruto usually made, though. He was drawn out of his thoughts of food by the arms wrapped around him tightening slightly and slipping down a bit further.

“Good morning.” A deep voice murmured into his ear as a hand slipped down his pants.

“Hm, I'm not convinced of that yet.” He sighed once he was sure they were the room’s only occupants, and was pleasantly surprised to be rolled quickly onto his stomach, Kakashi's now-familiar weight settling over him. His lover moved so quickly at times, and it was usually rather thrilling.

“I'll have to fix that, then.” Kakashi replied, kissing down his neck and working them both out of their pants. The bruise he had left on Iruka during their first night spent together was gone by then, and many more like it had been left instead, giving the silver-haired man plenty of points to press to get reactions. He could play Iruka like a fiddle, pulling moans and whines and arches out of him with just a few touches and nibbles. He enjoyed it more than was healthy for a demon of his standing.

“Fuck, ugh, fuck me.” The teacher whined after only minutes of the older’s attentions. A month of experience did a lot for one's libido.

Kakashi grinned his usual lazy smirk, even as his grey eye sparkled with mischief. “Are you sure? People are awake, Iruka. Anyone at all could come up the stairs looking for us.” He whispered, even as he continued to touch and stroke and kiss the man.

One exceptionally firm and delicious swipe of a tongue over a bruise on his ribs made Iruka moan aloud. He was already well versed in this game. “Please, Kashi, want you to fuck me. Hard and fast, no one will have time to find us.” He panted, rocking his hips back to rub his ass against the man's erection. It was barely a moment later that Iruka had his legs spread wide, one of Kakashi’s lube covered fingers starting to stretch him.

The burn of the preparation was just like so many of the other pains Iruka had found aroused him, and he urged his lover through it quickly, whimpering and whining until Kakashi deemed him ready and worked his slick dick in excruciatingly slowly. Iruka wanted to demand he pick up the pace, but he knew that would get him nowhere, so he whimpered instead. “Please, I want-” he broke off with a whine as the other snapped his hips forward and quickly sunk in the rest of the way.

The pace Kakashi set was always either an exercise in endurance or restraint, there didn't seem to be an in-between. This time it was endurance, which was Iruka’s favorite of the two options. He panted out expletives and rocked his hips back into each punishing thrust, relishing in the fast pace and harsh strength behind them. It didn't take long before he was reaching for his cock, about to come without even touching it, and his lover stopped him with a quick swipe of the hand. His wrists were suddenly above his head, making him squirm, but the pace didn't miss a beat or slow, and he wondered if he could actually come without a single finger being laid on his dick.

He found out moments later that he very much could, losing himself for a moment as he was fucked through his orgasm, Kakashi filling him with come shortly after. The larger man always seemed so much more relaxed afterwards, letting himself turn into a puddle of cuddly warmth in the post-orgasmic glow, and Iruka found he enjoyed this Kakashi as much as he enjoyed the commanding or playful sides of him. This side he also got to enjoy while naked and filled by his lover, so that was a perk in itself.

They were still tied up in each other when the front door opened and closed downstairs and Naruto left the house that thanksgiving day, and it wasn't until Gaara called later and asked for him that they knew something was wrong.

Iruka had answered the phone, telling Gaara that Naruto had gone out earlier and would be back at least in another hour. He would never miss thanksgiving dinner, of course. It was after he hung up and Jiraiya asked who it was that he knew something was wrong.

“That was Gaara. He wanted to talk to Naruto. Where did that brat go, anyway? He was supposed to be here helping cook.” Kakashi had taken the place he usually did in the kitchen, however, and Iruka would never complain about that.

Their uncle had gone strangely silent, and Iruka turned to see his face pale. “Naruto was going to Gaara’s this morning. He left half an hour before you came downstairs.” Jiraiya didn't stand there a moment longer than necessary, up the stairs faster than Iruka had ever seen him move, and Iruka felt like his heart was being gripped by an iron fist.

“No no no…” He mumbled. Not Naruto. Not him too. Iruka had lost everyone he ever loved, and now Naruto was missing on his favorite holiday? No way, there was no way he'd not be there for-

“I have some friends that can help us track him. We'll find Naruto, Iruka. Breathe.” That was his commander voice, and it calmed Iruka, if only slightly. Kakashi had pulled on his coat and now pulled Iruka into a hug. This was bad. He was going to find Naruto. Kakashi didn't know who had even taken him, he knew it was probably those he was assisting, but not anymore. He would find him himself, and he would be bringing him back home.

He was out the door a minute later.

Iruka could hear their uncle upstairs, making calls to other hunters and talking about things Iruka didn't want to overhear. The brunette trusted both of them, and he had no choice but to go back to making dinner, needing to do something to keep his mind from spinning out of control.

He didn't even think about calling Gaara back, didn't know that he had stepped out and gone to the store 15 minutes later, and didn't know he was taken as well before he even made it there, but Kakashi had figured out after a month with Gaara that he was familiar because Kakashi had read his file when deciding on his target. He knew who Gaara was, and he hadn't told anyone as much, which really had been very deal sealing for the mutinous aspect he had been considering. He was officially rogue.

Hellhounds surrounded him quickly as he called them with a sharp whistle, and Kakashi didn't even need to verbally command them, a few flicks of his hands sent four of them off in different directions, already familiar with Naruto’s scent. The other four he took an educated guess with, bringing them with him to lay in wait and monitor Gaara, staying as far downwind as he could manage and easily noticing the rogue demon Kiba was also watching, not far off.

Had Naruto been taken by rogue demons? Those working against the apocalypse? That was something he could definitely handle. He'd take a few hostages, knock out the rest, and take Naruto from them before they made any stupid choices with his life. He didn't want to stop the movement, however, because he would certainly support what they were doing if it weren't for the fact that they had taken someone important to him.

Ah, two someones now. Kiba wasn't a high level demon, he used force to physically knock Gaara out before taking him away, and Kakashi followed easily, tracking from a ways back so as not to be caught before they got to wherever they were holding the blonde.

It was a compound that looked like a warehouse of sorts, shorter than most and very abandoned, and Kakashi pushed his headband up onto his forehead, one red eye appearing. With that, he could see where there were flickers of power within, most of them no more than a candle flame, easily snuffed out, but they certainly had one in there that was only a few ranks lower than he himself. And that was also where he could see Naruto’s own power, different from the others, and brighter than he had expected. Even Gaara had a small amount of the same power left over, but it was miniscule compared to the nova that brat gave off.

He called his hellhounds back to himself, waiting until Gaara was safely tucked very close to Naruto before making his move. It was a bloody one.

If there was one thing Kakashi missed about hell, it was the blood and pain he got to cause, and he may not have killed anyone this time, but he certainly destroyed their hosts, forcing many demons to flee and search out new bodies. This gave him plenty of time for busting into the last place he needed to handle, slamming open the door that held their captives and flinging the demon inside against the far wall immediately. He was glad now that he had borrowed one of Jiraiya’s guns a week before, and he shot a pentagram-engraved bullet directly into the demon’s shoulder. He was efficiently sealed and relatively harmless after that, and Kakashi was ignoring the reactions he was getting from the room’s other occupants for the time, knocking out the other demon with just a thought.

“K-kakashi?!” Yeah, he was in for it. Pakkun let out a small woof, informing him of Naruto’s bleeding wrists, and he was there in a moment, dismissing most of his hounds with a flick of his wrist. Only two stayed, guarding their captive.

“I'm here to take you home, Naruto. Don't worry. I now they've probably told you about me and why you're here, but I'm taking you back to Iruka. He's making dinner for you right now.” Kakashi spoke all the way through the untying, watching Naruto relax slightly with every word. Gaara hadn't moved an inch, though he wasn't tied up, and the grey-haired demon ignored this as he worked. He pulled his shirt off as soon as he saw the state of the blonde’s wrists, ripping the t-shirt material into two long strips he could wrap around the bloodied areas. “Did he hurt you? Try to get any information?” He asked once that was done, looking over the mostly unharmed teenagers. They both had a few bruises and scratches, but nothing else.

“No, they… they said they were demons and… you were trying to start the apocalypse… but you wouldn't do that, right, Kakashi? They said you were giving me demon blood and working for other demons!” Naruto stopped there, watching the blank face Kakashi barely kept intact.

“I was, yes. I'm not anymore.” Kakashi said simply, moving to pick up the collapsed demon. “Can both of you walk?”

Gaara answered this one, standing and moving to guide the stunned blonde to his feet. “Yes, we're fine.” He spoke for them both, nudging Naruto toward the door and then sighing and taking his hand to pull him along.

“Stay behind me. There may be demons I didn't account for.” Kakashi didn't see any new ones yet, but he was a safe rather than sorry type of guy, leaving his hellhounds to guard them from behind. He could see the way Naruto stared at them, and wondered if that was because of the demon blood, but Gaara had also been watching them, despite having hardly any taint of the blood left in his system. It was a puzzle for another day.

“Why are you bringing him?” Naruto whispered, eyes on the boy over Kakashi’s shoulder.

He sighed. “Because I'm going to find out how they knew to take you. You two were the number two and three choices for… starting the apocalypse. It can't be a coincidence they took you both. Especially when I didn't even report that Gaara was nearby.” Kakashi knew that didn't make up for his lost trust, but he figured it was a good enough place to start.

He really did need to find out if others were around and watching. A demon of a low enough level could go by unnoticed, and one with certain traits could mask their presence if he didn't look too hard.

He hadn't been looking too hard. He needed to find the demon and figure out whose side it was on.

He was going to have to tell Iruka everything. That was an unsettling thought.

Traveling quickly along the edges of town and through wooded areas to avoid suspicion made it a bit of a treck home, but Naruto and Gaara kept up with him well enough, so he didn't worry about it, ignoring the panicked whispers of Naruto and the hushed assurances Gaara returned. He had never seen the ginger be so gentle, since he usually cut through anyone who dared to cross him at school and was barely less than harsh at the best of times of hanging out with his blonde friend. He had to wonder what the blonde had done to earn this.

“Shukaku will probably be waiting with Kyuubi at your house. If Kakashi can't get anything out of that… Sasuke… You know they will.” He heard Gaara whisper, and his mind whirled for a moment.

Sasuke Uchiha was famous in Hell. His brother made a deal with a demon for power and then killed his entire family when he ended up a demon. Sasuke then made a deal with the same demon, wanting his brother dead, but when he found out his brother was already dead and he had sold his soul for a heart his brother no longer needed, he turned on them. He had already been tortured in Hell for 50 years at that time, getting more and more angry as his soul was twisted, but when he finally turned and became a demon, he attacked others and went after his brother in the afterlife. He almost found him, but Itachi was on a level with Azazel and Ruby and almost even Lilith. He had been forced to retreat, training and gaining power. And it seemed he had found a way to continue to get revenge on the other by foiling his plans.

The fact that a high profile renegade like the Uchiha was slung over his shoulder like a rag doll made Kakashi wonder if he had possibly been on the wrong side of the war in the first place.


	8. Some things one just learns not to expect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya, so, confession, I've had all of this but like the last half of this chapter written for a couple months now, and I just didn't want to post it yet, so this is making me super nervous, because this fic is my baby. Please be gentle! Comments are much appreciated and keep me going!

It had been hours. Iruka had everything cooked to perfection, and he was a mess. Kakashi hadn't called or texted to inform him of how things were going. Naruto was still missing. Shukaku had shown up saying Gaara was also missing, and was now sitting on their couch with Kyuubi curled in her lap, petting the upset fox softly. Kyuubi seemed to be as upset as the rest of them, though he couldn't possibly know anything was wrong.

Jiraiya had left a half hour after they realized Naruto was missing, and Iruka didn't know or care where he had gone. He had told Shukaku that Kakashi had gone out saying he was going to bring Naruto back, and that had seemed to calm her frantic state more than it did his own. What could a history teacher do? He had said he had people who would find them, though. Iruka trusted him with that.

Naruto had been officially missing for three hours when the door opened and the two teens came rushing in, followed by Kakashi carrying someone who appeared to be bleeding.

“Naruto!” Iruka was nearly tackled in a hug by the blonde, who was looking rather teary-eyed, and didn't even notice the super-human speed with which Shukaku appeared in front of Gaara, eyes assessing every bruise and scrape on the boy. “Naru, what happened? Who is that?” He was pulled between looking over Naruto with rather intense urgency and attending to the young man bleeding down Kakashi’s back. His decision was made immediately when he noticed the make-shift bandages wrapped around his wrists. “I'll get the first aid kit.” He said quickly, squeezing his brother one more time before he let him go and bolted up the stairs.

Gaara, Shukaku, and Naruto were on the couch when he came back, Kyuubi wrapped around Naruto’s neck as Gaara gently unwrapped his wrists. “They didn't tie me up because Naruto asked them not to. I could barely touch him before he got the upper hand, though.” Gaara was saying softly, and Naruto looked so… unlike himself. He was always just grinning and laughing things off, eyes bright. He didn't even have a smile on his face, now.

Kakashi came in from the kitchen with a bowl of warm, soapy water. “Iruka, there's some things we need to talk about after you finish this.” He spoke softly as he handed him the bowl, looking over the group that was collected in the room. He would be coming clean after this, but while Iruke tended to Naruto and Gaara, he would be tending to their Uchiha. He had him in the kitchen, in a chair inside a demon trap.

“Alright.” Iruka didn't argue, he could see something was off with Kakashi. Something had changed. He started with the bruises and scratches on Naruto’s wrists, cleaning them and massaging ointment into them gently before wrapping them up with actual bandages, then he moved on to the wound on the back of Gaara’s head.

“Did they hit you with something?” He mumbled around the tube of ointment between his teeth.

Shukaku was watching him like a hawk, and the ginger took the treatment well, not even a flinch for the ointment that surely stung at least a bit. Luckily, he didn't need stitches. Gaara sighed before he replied. “I didn't see what it was, but yes. I think it was wooden.” That made sense with the splinters he had had to remove.

“That'll be sore for a bit and you may get some headaches.” He warned, having seen plenty of these on Jiraiya, but he finished it shortly after that and nodded. “It shouldn't bleed anymore now unless you're uncareful with it.”

Shukaku was glad for the reassurance and assistance healing his jinchuuriki, though he had never before needed such a thing from a human, and he found himself almost understanding why Kurama would let himself live with one, but more important things came to mind when they heard a muffled groaning from the kitchen.

It was that that reminded Iruka of the bleeding stranger Kakashi had carried in, and he was quick to bring his medical supplies into the kitchen, stopping short when he was greeted with a sight he'd never before seen. “Kakashi. Is now the time when you wanted to talk?” He asked tersely, looking at the young man that was bleeding from his shoulder and sitting in one of their kitchen chairs in the middle of some magic circle of nonsense, Kakashi standing just outside of it and watching him wake up.

“Iruka. What has Jiraiya told you about what he does?” Okay, that wasn't what the brunette was expecting to hear for the start of this. He frowned and moved to tend to the injury, but Kakashi was in front of him in the blink of an eye, startlingly quick. “He took Naruto and Gaara. He isn't going to die from that, he can't. He's a demon.”

Iruka snorted and rolled his eyes. “You’ve been talking to Naruto too much, Kashi, that's ridiculous.” He went to move around his lover, but found himself rooted to the spot. “There's no such thing as demons or monsters, that's-” He really couldn't move his feet. He didn't know why, but they weren't moving, and he felt his stomach starting to sink as Kakashi lifted his hand up to move the band over his eye up his head.

“Oh god.” He whispered, staring into an eye as red as blood, and he still couldn't even move. “No way, that's-”

“Don't declare facts impossible, sensei.” Kakashi sighed and moved out of his way then so Iruka could see Sasuke. “I am what he is. Those stories Naruto is always talking about are real. He and Gaara are in danger. I brought this demon here because he took your little brother. I don't know yet what they planned to do with him, but they were trying to stop him from being used by another group of Demons that are trying to start the apocalypse.” He paused, but he knew he had to admit it. “I was a part of that group. Not anymore.” Iruka could finally move, and it was to take a step back.

“Are you saying-” He stopped. He had seen a flash of uncertainty in Kakashi’s eyes, and remembered that Naruto was back with him right now because Kakashi had gone out and brought him home. He knew every person in the house was watching them, including the now-conscious demon tied to his kitchen chair, but he couldn't care about that when he stepped forward again and closed the distance to hug the other. “Thank you. I don't know about all the demons and monsters and… the apocalypse.” He had to swallow hard then, the word seeming to catch in his throat. “You brought Naruto home. Thank you.” He said firmly, not doubting his decision for a moment. “Now. Please tell me you don't plan on torturing some teenager to get the information you need, because that's non-negotiable.”

Kakashi had known very few humans as good as the ones he had found here, and he had to wonder for a moment if anything could have possibly made him betray them in the way he had originally been supposed to.

He didn't think so.

“He isn't a teenager, Iruka, he's a demon, and-”

“Well, if you wanna be technical… I was a teenager when I died,” came a voice from behind that had Kakashi tensing. “But he isn't going to get anything out of me through torture, anyway, and he knows it. He's going to bargain. It took 50 years of Alistair to crack me, and that's well known among our kind.” The calm voice was low and smooth for someone who was bleeding like he was, and Iruka frowned.

“Should I look at the wound, or-”

“No. Don't step into the circle.”

That voice was a surprise. Jiraiya was usually gone for days when he left, but he stood in the kitchen doorway, a hand in Naruto's hair. The blonde did seem to have some of his color back at least.

“Uncle, what do you-”

“That's a demon trap. It keeps him from hurting you and if you step inside it will be a one-way ticket to possession or death. Unless your boyfriend there was smart enough to use one of my demon trapping bullets for that shot, of course.” Jiraiya explained, face serious like it hardly ever was.

“I did. He won't be going anywhere or hurting anyone.” Kakashi assured, eyes hard as he looked at the demon they had trapped.

“I can dig this out of my shoulder. You won't keep me here forever.” Was the only response they got from the demon, even as he continued to bleed onto their thankfully-tiled floor.

Iruka grimaced and shook his head. “Don't do that. Come on, Kashi, let me stop that bleeding, or you do it yourself. I'm not watching some kid bleed out all over my floor when I can do something about it.” He frowned between his uncle and lover, who met eyes over his head.

“He can't step in the circle or he'll be trapped too.” Jiraiya muttered after a moment of staring, then looked back at the sullen boy. “Go on, Iruka. This kid knows he won't get anywhere unless we help him. He isn't going to hurt you or he'll end up back in hell, and he knows it.” The older man turned away and went to start pulling seemingly meaningless things from the cabinet, making Iruka shake his head.

“Thank you, uncle.” He said, stepping into the “trap” with a determined stride, watching the demon teen closely as he pulled out rubbing alcohol, gauze and bandages. “Sit still.”

“You don't need to sanitize it. I won't be getting an infection.” The Uchiha grumbled, getting a frown.

“Yeah, I figured that out. But I'm going to need this to get your blood off my chair. Might as well have it ready.” This got a raised eyebrow, but he ignored that to start patching up the bleeding boy. He could probably have gotten the same results with some duct tape, but he didn't think that was particularly polite. Sasuke wouldn't be getting any less of the treatment he gave anyone else, even if he was a demon. That was the type of person Iruka was.

“Are you going to take all day, or can we question him yet?” This, surprisingly, came from Shukaku, who looked like she was very much prepared to do this questioning herself. “If more demons know where to find Gaara, we'll have to leave quickly, before they can strike.” She had one hand on the ginger’s shoulder, and Gaara had his fingers tangled in Naruto’s, looking the closest to upset Iruka had ever seen him.

The brunette just nodded and taped the bandage on with quick fingers before stepping back and… hitting a wall. Well. It felt like he did. He turned and stared for a moment at the empty space, but trying to move through it was like trying to move through a solid wall.

“I… I thought you said this was a demon trap.” He could feel his panic rising, as confusion and fear started to dawn on the faces of those in the room.

“Oh, it's a demon trap. Drawn in demon blood and boosted in power so that not even Lilith herself could escape. And, I guess those rumors about the… Antichrist or whatever you humans are calling it… are true. Gotten yourself in too deep, Hatake?” Sasuke’s voice was mocking, his eyes going red as they drop to Iruka’s abdomen. “This is why we don't give regular humans blood. Always something freaky happening with them.” He snorted, and Kakashi’s face had gone completely blank, much to Iruka’s distress.

Naruto, however, didn't seem too quick on the uptake, as usual. “What do you mean? If that's a demon trap, why can't he get out of it? Kakashi? Uncle Jiraiya? What's going on?” He was looking between the four of them, but had taken a side-step closer to Gaara, hand closing more fully around his in a sure sign of rising panic. Was something wrong with his brother?

“Take Gaara up to your room, Naruto.” Shukaku spoke softly but firmly, her eyes gone hard and her face drawn tightly. “Now!” She snapped, when neither moved, and that was enough to have both bolting for the stairs in a moment, the tension in the room seeming to rise even more when the door was heard shutting.

“Jiraiya… what's he talking about? I don't-” Iruka started again, but he was cut off by Kakashi.

“It's just a myth. It can't be true, it's just because you drank too much blood I meant for Naruto. After we get the information and exorcise Uchiha, we'll break the trap and you won't have to worry about it anymore.” Kakashi’s voice always seemed to lull one into a sense of security, but it didn't seem to be working for Iruka just then.

“Are you sure? What's a myth? Is something wrong with me?” Iruka’s face tightened as he kept a tight leash on any panic, but Sasuke chuckled and smirked at Kakashi, making his eye twitch.

“Do you want to tell him about the Cambion, or should I? Doesn't he have a right to know, Hatake? After all, he could be carrying the spawn of Satan inside that tight little stomach.” It was obvious from the look in his eye that this comment was mostly made to piss Kakashi off, and he would never admit that it worked, but it also had Iruka's hand dropping to his stomach and a whimper leaving his mouth.

“Cambion? Carrying?” He knew he had heard the word before, some scary story his parents had told him once upon a time about demon children, but that couldn't be the same word being used now. There was no way. “No. No no no. I am definitely missing a few parts to have to worry about that.” He could feel his panic solidifying into resolve, and he once again attempted to walk through the invisible wall.

“Oh, you'd be surprised what magic can happen with a little mixture of fluids. Blood and sweat and semen. I bet he tasted your blood, too, didn't he? Magic.” Sasuke spat the word like a curse, and Iruka remembered the light scar he now had on his shoulder, pale and vague but shaped like teeth and from their first time together. “You can sell your very soul with a kiss. Do you think it's really that much of a stretch?”

You could sell your soul? With a kiss? That was frightening, but Iruka was determined to maintain his composure, hand still firmly pressed to his stomach. He'd be two months pregnant by now if it happened the first time. Two months into this, and his stomach felt softer than usual, but he'd assumed that was just because he had been more healthy since graduating college. Since getting a job that had him on regular hours and paid well enough to let him relax a bit. He hasn't given a second thought to his fatigue of late or the way he had been eating things he wouldn't have before or his more frequent trips to the toilet.

Jiraiya was saying something, but Iruka couldn't hear him. All he could hear was his own quickening breathing and the way Sasuke seemed to be chuckling darkly at whatever was being discussed. Iruka looked from Jiraiya to Kakashi and found mismatched eyes on him, worry and stress in them. The brunette found his vision blurring as he stared at those eyes, one so familiar while the other was completely foreign, and he didn't know what was happening until he was caught before he hit the floor, the world going black as a pair of curious red eyes caught his.


	9. Kurama and his Jinchuuriki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I fucked up. Lilith and Azazel weren't active at the same time, and it was during my endeavor to match up timelines that I realized my booboo. So, this is in fall 2006 so far, and Lilith wasn't out till May 2007, when Azazel dies. Um, next chapter will be a segue, and I'm gonna pack it full of things, and then the boys will finally meet! Got a bit ahead of myself and started writing that, actually... Anyway, hope you enjoy! Comments much appreciated, and I beg your pardon of my spelling/grammar errors!

Naruto and Gaara sat on Naruto’s bed, trying not to listen to the yelling going on downstairs, or hear words like “pregnant nephew” and “cambion,” but there was only so much one could block out. Sasuke’s voice was a low rumble, Kakashi’s its usual mellow pitch, but tinted with anxiety, and Jiraiya’s was an angry growl, but they didn't hear Shukaku speaking, or Iruka, and the latter made Naruto feel slightly panicky.

“Hey, Naru… calm down.” Gaara sighed, pulling the blonde into his lap and nuzzling his neck.

“Gaara, I- shit, don't- I can't calm down, they're-” Naruto was a high-strung ball of energy most of the time, but when he was worried that increased tenfold, and right now he felt like he may be shaking apart with worry. Iruka was his only true family, Jiraiya was cool, but he was gone all the time, and to have some unknown threat to his brother's life suddenly popping up because of him…

“Shut up. It isn't your fault. Iruka is a grown up, he chose to sleep with Hatake.” Gaara's warm breath on his neck had Naruto shivering, and he could almost focus more on the soft lips against his jaw than on the panic still trapped in his chest, but the panic was still taking precedence.

“No, you don't- I introduced them and- the demon blood-” Naruto attempted to argue, but a hot mouth caught his earlobe and made him whimper. Okay, maybe Gaara was more important than the panic right now.

“And if I had been taken by Hatake? If he hadn't changed his loyalties? Would that be your fault for becoming my friend?” Gaara rumbled in his ear, and Naruto fidgeted, pulling back so that worried blue eyes met calm green ones.

“Well… I guess not…” He mumbled, and Gaara's mouth quirked into a smile.

“Then assume they'd have met anyway. Stop worrying.” The ginger insisted, and Naruto was about to protest when it was cut off by gentle lips on his own and hands sliding around his back, pulling him closer. They were so new to this, inexperienced and clumsy, but it was the best thing Naruto had ever had to himself. Not even Kurama knew about it.

He was too shy to start anything, but Naruto did everything with enthusiasm, and that made their kisses all the better, tentative but thoroughly enjoyed by both parties, even if Gaara was always the one to kiss him first. The most daring thing he'd ever done was nip at the red head’s bottom lip once, and that had gotten a gasp and a very enthusiastic reply, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to do it again.

“Shut the door, next time.” Jiraiya’s voice came from the doorway, and the boys broke apart with twin blushes, Naruto looking guiltily at the open door, only to entirely forget the kissing when he saw Jiraiya carrying an unconscious Iruka in.

“What happened? Is he okay? Was it Sasuke… that demon down there?” Naruto spoke too quickly, stumbling over his words and his own feet as he quickly extracted himself from Gaara and moved to hover next to Iruka’s bed as Jiraiya placed him on it.

“Kakashi. Iruka was having a panic attack, he pulled some mind magic bullshit, and the kid here was out like a light. Sasuke caught him before he fell and hurt himself.” Jiraiya emphasized the name, and Naruto flushed a deeper red. Okay, he probably should have not called his kidnapper by name, but could the excuse that they hadn't hurt anyone and had been trying to help them be used? Probably not.

“Well, that's good at least, but what about Iruka? What were they saying, Uncle J? A… cambion?” Naruto was worried, seeing his brother lying so still with stress still evident in the lines between his eyebrows. The blonde smoothed the lines gently, sitting next to his brother and sighing. “Is he gonna be okay?”

Gaara stayed cross-legged on Naruto’s bed, but was watching them carefully, and Naruto almost wished he wasn't there when Jiraiya turned calculating eyes to them. “Your brother is in some trouble, Naruto. We don't know if he'll be okay. We don't know what to expect, but if you want to help him, you need to work on the demon-fighting powers Kakashi was describing, and I think it's time for me to teach you a few things.” The man didn't look overly happy about this, and it made Naruto equal parts nervous and excited. He was going to teach him how to hunt?

Looking down at the brother that had always been there for him when no one else was, Naruto knew it was an easy decision. “I'll do anything, Uncle Jiraiya! Believe it!” The blonde exclaimed, grinning at his uncle, and getting a mildly fond smile and a hair ruffle.

“Yeah, kid, I'll believe it when I see it.” The man huffed, leaving them to themselves, with Iruka sleeping peacefully. Naruto sighed and turned back to Gaara, wiggling his way back into the other boy’s lap.

“I'll train too. To protect your punk ass, of course.” Gaara huffed, and Naruto snorted, leaning in to press his lips to Gaara’s jaw.

“I saw that crazy martial arts shit you were trying to pull on Sasuke, Ra, don't think you can fool me into thinking you aren't already trained just to spare my ego.” The blonde grumbled against Gaara’s neck, grinning when his head tipped back slightly. He pressed kisses against the pale skin there, even gaining the courage to start to suck a mark onto the other, but he pulled back quickly when they heard a loud curse and a thud from downstairs.

“You demon brat, tell me what you want with my kit!” A voice that didn't sound human snarled below them, and Naruto realized what it was in a moment, bolting out the door and down the stairs in panic. What could have happened to cause Kurama to reveal himself?

Naruto didn't realize Gaara had followed him until the ginger grabbed his arm and caught him before he could run smack into a very-much-not-fox-sized Kurama. The huge fox had one paw on Kakashi and the other on Sasuke, so big he didn't even fit entirely in the kitchen and could hold both demons down with no trouble. The demon hounds they'd seen before were back, but stood by the walls, watching Kakashi. The silver-haired teacher was focused on the fox above him, lying still and staring intently at the creature, as Sasuke struggled to get free.

“Rama!” Naruto gasped, and red eyes snapped back to look at the two teens standing behind him in the doorway.

“You brat, go back to your room!” The fox snapped, but Naruto was already shaking his head before the sentence even ended.

“No, Rama, what are you doing? You can't hurt them, we have to stop the apocalypse, and they’re the only ones trying!” The blonde insisted, getting a snort from the creature.

“There are plenty of hunters to work with, kit, we don't need to soil our hands with these filthy twisted souls.” He growled and turned back to the demons, pressing harder on Sasuke’s chest as he struggled.

“But I want to.” Naruto slipped past his hindquarters into the kitchen to look the fox in the face, jaw set and shoulders squared. “And I'm your jinchuuriki. One day, I'm going to die so that you can continue to live. You swore to help me live my life to the fullest, to help me accomplish my goals and have the time of my life while doing it! Well, I have a goal now, and you're going to help me accomplish it! And we're going to save as many of these… twisted souls… as we can!” Blue eyes blazed fiercely, and all other eyes were on the blonde boy, astonished or confused or some mixture of the two.

Jiraiya was the first to look away, sighing and shaking his head. “You don't know what you're asking, kid.” He muttered under his breath, but Naruto heard him anyway and snorted.

“I know exactly what I'm asking. And Kurama is going to help me do it, because we have an bond, and he isn't going to break it.” He was so confident in his words that they brought his uncle’s eyes back to him, and Naruto nodded to the man.

Sasuke, however, had stopped struggling, and he stared at Naruto with calculating black eyes. “Jinchuuriki. The power of human sacrifice.” He said flatly, looking up at the fox above him. An elemental spirit that fed off the sacrifice of humans that devoted their lives to it.

His comment brought Naruto’s attention back to the fox above them, whose red eyes blazed with something that looked very much like worry. “You won't like what this will take, brat. Stopping the apocalypse is eating a few demons and bullying some angels into submission. This crusade you want to go on… it will be messy and bloody and hard.” The fox’s voice had softened slightly, and he seemed to be shrinking, but Naruto's eyes still had that same fire in them.

“You know I love to make messes, Rama. And when do I ever do anything the easy way?” The stubborn boy grinned widely, and Kurama sighed, seeming to deflate until he was the size of a kit again, small enough for Naruto to pick him up and set him on his shoulder.

He looked at the others in the room. At Sasuke and Kakashi, who he was determined to save. At Gaara and Jiraiya, who were precious to him and needed to be protected. At Shukaku, who had been watching it all with a resignation that said she realized she was stuck with this lot.

These people were his family, his friends, and his whole life, and he was going to do this. For all of them and Iruka and his new nephew as well.

“You're going to die.” Kakashi stated as calmly as ever.

“Not for a few decades.” Naruto grinned and shrugged, and Jiraiya sighed.

“You are so much trouble, kid…” He shook his head and frowned. Naruto just lifted a hand to stroke the kit’s head, getting a huff for his affection.

“It’s worth it, Uncle J. Just… Don’t worry about anything yet, okay? I’m protected until then, and we have things to do! Iruka… If he’s pregnant or whatever, we can’t let this stress him out, so we need to have a plan. And Sasuke and Kakashi are going to help us, right?” He turned large blue eyes to the two demons in the room, and neither would meet them. This was a very large gamble for both of them. Sasuke had only made it out of hell a few years before, starting the crusade against the apocalypse, and Kakashi had been giving regular reports to Azazel on a weekly basis. To follow this child, chosen though he may be, into the apocalypse on some foolish mission to save demons and the world at the same time?

Sasuke scowled and looked away. “Hn. I’m already going to stop the apocalypse, and this one fucked up my whole organization… I might as well make sure you guys don’t mess this shit up.” He grumbled, looking thoroughly unhappy at the thought. Naruto grinned anyway, looking at Kakashi and noticing his demon eye was covered again.

“Well, I don’t usually let myself get drawn into suicide missions… But it isn’t like I have a choice after showing my hand to rescue you.” The silver-haired demon shrugged, and Naruto’s grin widened.

“Oh, this won’t be a suicide mission with Kurama and Shukaku around, believe it! You have your freaky demon dogs anyway, and I’m sure they’re plenty of protection as well!” Half the room looked at Naruto like he was crazy, but the blonde ignored them all. This would work, because he would make it work. He wasn’t very good at planning, and this would require as much of his attention as Iruka would allow him to divert from school, but he was sure he could improvise his way out of anything they couldn’t plan.

It was the start of a very long endeavor for everyone involved.


	10. 80s Training Montage?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is... A year or so squeezed into about 3000 words. Because there is so much fucking stuff. Like. Ugh. Special shoutout to the guest who told me to kill myself, you can go fuck yourself sir! Thanks for the homophobic assholery! Everyone else who comments, you are all angels and I love you dearly. I hope you all enjoy this little bit of... Everything... Before I have to really get into things, because the apocalypse has arrived! Next chapter!

Naruto and Gaara were trained quickly and efficiently with two demons, a hunter, and two elemental spirits around to do their training. Iruka had been extremely against the whole thing in the beginning, even going so far as to threaten Kakashi with bodily harm when he brought up their plan, but Naruto was more stubborn than Iruka by just enough to convince his brother he needed to do this, and the first hunt they went on was supervised by Kurama.

Naruto was a mess when he returned, but that wasn’t surprising. What was surprising, was the very large man he was carrying over his shoulder and the smaller boy over Gaara’s. Iruka, four months pregnant and miffed beyond belief, was rushed upstairs by Kakashi as soon as they saw the boys pulling the limp men out of the back of the car, leaving Sasuke to deal with whatever strays they were dragging home, as Shukaku was at her own home and Jiraiya was on his own hunt. It was January, and snow covered the ground, and the man Naruto was carrying left drag prints in the snow, making Sasuke roll his eyes at the shortness of the blonde.

He could see that the man Naruto had was a demon, but there was something strange about the boy Gaara carried as well, and Sasuke couldn't quite place what he was. He'd never seen one before, it wasn't until the over-enthused blonde started babbling about angels fighting with demons that the Uchiha started to worry. Angels were just legends, as far as he knew, but the brunette was delicate-looking and young, and Sasuke thought that the glow he emitted would be fitting for an angel.

Kurama confirmed that it was, in fact, an angel in the form of a young boy. But he seemed to think the angel was fallen, perhaps for consorting with a demon, it wasn't until the large and scary demon woke up that they could confirm he and the angel were cooperating. As he snarled at them about killing the boy, not even seeming to contemplate that he himself had been sleeping as well but not dead. He was beating on the invisible wall of his devil’s trap when the angel woke up and blinked at them all a few times before standing and laying a hand on the demon’s arm.

Their interrogation had been cut very short after that, because Naruto had taken a liking to the angel and didn't know how to not emote like a teenaged girl, Sasuke found. New allies were made, and they did get information, but not as much as he'd have wanted from the angel, Haku, and his demon consort, Zabuza.

Naruto was improving in his control rather markedly, Gaara was back on the demon blood as well, making him even more dangerous than his regular training. Kakashi had continued to leave Gaara out of his reports, and was constantly on high alert for any nearby demon activity. Which meant he almost decapitated Kiba when the brunette and his hellhound showed up again. The new demon was part of the apocalyptic resistance, though, and Iruka had been five months pregnant and hormonal enough to start crying when he saw the small bit of blood dripping down their new ally’s neck before the wound closed. Sasuke would say he didn't know how he found himself caught up with these people, but he did.

When Iruka was six months pregnant, he moved in with Kakashi in a nice apartment across town to get away from the madness at the hunter house. Kakashi left Sasuke in charge of training Naruto and Gaara, and it was about then that things started to heat up with the teenaged boys. Gaara was scary when he really started fighting, too fast and powerful for even demons to counteract, and Naruto thought it was extremely hot, even though he was almost as fast and had way more brute strength behind his hits. Sasuke played to their strengths when they were in the field, but always caught onto their weaknesses and targeted those during training, which sometimes lead to a very angry Shukaku or Kurama when he got a hit or two in on the boys.

After one such training session when Shukaku collected Gaara early for an injury, Naruto and Sasuke were sparring at night, the full moon always giving Naruto a slightly more brutal edge to his attacks. He went in for a kill, slamming his palm into Sasuke’s chest in a move that knocked the air from his lungs and would also have expelled the demon from him had Naruto willed it so. As it was, though, Sasuke shot out a leg to catch Naruto’s ankle and they both tripped, the force of Naruto’s blow sending them rolling across the grass to land in a panting pile.

Sasuke grumbled something about Naruto being a dobe from underneath the blonde, and Naruto muttered about the ravenette being a cheating dame.

“There's no cheating in war, dobe.” Sasuke huffed, and Naruto pushed himself up using the other’s chest, not even thinking about it as he straddled the man’s waist.

“This isn't war, this is sparring, and you would have been dead before you tripped me if it was actual war, teme!” The blonde growled, and Sasuke glared.

“No, you would have been dead as soon as you hesitated to make your first move if this was war. There is no cheating.” He pushed himself up on his elbows and Naruto slid back a bit, finding himself at the other’s hips and blushing slightly. Sasuke noticed this and smirked, always up for teasing the little brat. “You enjoying your seat, blondie?” He purred, shoving himself up more so he was sitting and Naruto was in his lap, and he caught the teen before he could have any plans of running off.

“This is definitely not war, teme, so just-” He growled, pushing ineffectually against Sasuke’s chest as his blush grew darker and spread down his bare chest. He had never wished harder that they wore shirts to spar in, especially when Sasuke’s large palms sliding over his back to change his grip had Naruto’s attraction becoming very obvious from the way they sat.

“I thought you had a problem with cheating, but it seems that's only true for silly games.” Sasuke hummed and Naruto scowled at him.

“What's that supposed to mean? I'm not cheating on anyone!” He and Gaara were still not telling anyone about their dalliances, and Jiraiya had kept his mouth shut, so Naruto didn't think Sasuke could know about that… but the grin he flashed at Naruto’s protest possibly said otherwise.

“Oh really? You and red just naturally smell like sex whenever you're around each other, hm? He wouldn't care at all if I did this?” The demon smirked and skimmed his hands up Naruto’s back, but the blonde had forgotten he was supposed to be trying to move, and the cool hands against his heated skin made him shudder, breathing still erratic from the sparring.

“We don't smell like sex, we haven't even d-done anything.” Naruto argued, and Sasuke snorted.

“That's fairly obvious if you get so worked up over nothing. You don't have to have sex to smell like it, though, all that sweat and desire and arousal. Like you smell now, really.” Sasuke smirked, running his hands down tan sides and watching the fog that drifted into Naruto’s overly blue eyes. When they rested on his hips, though, something in Naruto seemed to snap back to reality, and he shot up with all his strength and speed, taking off into the house.

That was just the first of many occasions in which Sasuke teased Naruto like that, and they found themselves in an increasing number of situations that left the blonde blushing and aroused over the next two months, but two months later things started really changing.

Iruka felt like a whale. An actual whale, weighing 5000 pounds and moving slowly through its home while eating a metric ton of food a day. He had been seeing Jiraiya’s old friend Tsunade for his medical needs since the second month, and after the fourth she had written up fake documents about him being quarantined and hospitalized and unable to return to work at his school. He had fought that vehemently, and she had been adamant. It was in May, with eight months of pregnancy under his belt, that shit hit the fan, though.

Kakashi had gone to give his newest report of Naruto’s progress to Azazel five hours ago, and Iruka was worrying, pacing the floor when he should have been in bed. It was nearing dawn now, and Iruka hadn't slept a bit, but he didn't want to call Sasuke or Jiraiya either. Pulling out his cell and dialing Kakashi for the seventeenth time, it went directly to voicemail, and Iruka whimpered and rubbed a hand over his stomach where his baby was happily kicking his spleen. Their baby was healthy and happy and growing so well that it was an amazement to Tsunade, who had thought that, as a former hunter and a doctor, she had seen everything.

The kicking had grown harder since Iruka really started to worry an hour after Kakashi left, and he had been having small contractions, but he had started having those a week ago and it was nothing then, so he didn't worry at first. After four hours of worrying about Kakashi, his contractions had started to get worse and closer together, making Iruka scream with the pain of them, but he was too stubborn to think they were real. He was not having this fucking baby without Kakashi.

The baby disagreed, though.

At eight months pregnant, they had a plan made up. It would have to be a cesarean, and they were to go to Tsunade’s home for it, where she was prepared with all the necessary materials. Her assistant, Shizune, was midwifing, and Kakashi was going to be there to make sure he could fix anything that went wrong.

Well, Kakashi wasn't there after six hours away, and this baby was not taking “no” for an answer. Iruka felt something burst inside him, and gasped, falling back onto the couch. He fumbled his phone as he dialed Naruto, and nearly screamed with the pain as his next contraction hit just as his brother answered.

“Get Sasuke and a car and get the fuck over here, I'm having this baby and Kakashi is gone!” Iruka snapped into the phone, rubbing his stomach to try to ease the pain. It wasn't working, and he could barely make himself breath around it, but Naruto’s muffled shouts from the phone and the sound of a car starting put him slightly more at ease. He hung up and called Tsunade, who sounded like she had been at the sake.

“This is happening early, Tsunade... and Kakashi isn't here... but Naruto is coming to get me with Sasuke…” he panted as he waited for the next contraction. They were still seven minutes apart, but they had been ten minutes apart half an hour ago, and he told Tsunade that, hearing the blonde woman curse.

“And why didn't you call me sooner?” She scolded, Iruka could hear Shizune speaking in the background as doors opened and closed.

“Because I didn't think it was actual labor!” He snapped, and the contraction hit, making him drop his phone and bite his lip hard enough it drew blood. Shit, this was bad. He had never imagined labor to be this bad. Women who had kids were superheroes to mankind if this was what they all went through.

The door slammed open, and Naruto burst into the room, obviously panicked, and even Sasuke, who came in much less quickly, looked unnerved by the situation, and both boys were in their pajamas. They helped Iruka out to the car, Naruto grabbing the bag Iruka was demanding while Sasuke helped him stay on his feet to get out the door. The demon was never so glad to see a hunter’s house as he was when they pulled up in front of Tsunade’s.

It took only another hour after that to deliver the baby and sew Iruka up, and the brunette shook with adrenaline as he lay in the bed he'd been settled on, a beautiful baby boy in his arms. Naruto and Sasuke had been present for his birth, which wasn't something he had been too pleased with, but as both boys sat next to him on the bed, blood splattering their pajama pants and faces slack with exhaustion and a bit of awe, Iruka grinned up at them both. They hadn't been able to get an ultrasound, so they didn't know what to expect, but they had decided already on a name for each gender.

“Byakko Umino. Want to hold your nephew, Naruto?” The exhausted brunette offered, and Naruto’s eyes grew wide.

“What? No way, I would break him!” he protested immediately, but his arms went out without his consent and he found himself holding the quiet baby anyway. Blue eyes went huge at the tiny size of the child, weighing only 6 lbs 7 oz, and he cradled the boy like he was actually afraid he would break him.

Iruka offered the baby to Sasuke after Naruto got too nervous, and the demon had just taken Byakko from the blonde when the door burst open and Kakashi entered, covered in blood that wasn't his own and looking like he'd just seen a massacre. Or performed one.

“Iru-” he stopped short at the sight of the baby in Sasuke’s arms, dark hair fluffy and eyes closed in sleep, and Iruka felt a wave of relief crash over him. Kakashi was okay.

“Kashi, where have you been?” He was perhaps a little more forceful in that question than necessary, but he had been so worried he'd gone into labor and their child had been delivered without Kakashi. The silver-haired man was frozen, though, and didn't answer. He just stared at the tiny baby, and when he finally snapped out of it, it was because Naruto had come to put a hand on his shoulder.

“We… made that? He's so perfect… how could I-” The demon moved faster than anyone watching could see, suddenly two inches from the baby in Sasuke’s arms, face unreadable behind his mask. “They did it. The Winchester brothers killed Azazel. No one else knows I was assigned to you. He's safe, but I missed it...”

“Azazel is gone?” Sasuke almost sounded hopeful, but Kakashi sighed, trailing a single non-bloody finger down the baby’s face.

“Completely destroyed by the Colt, but they opened the devil’s gate before the hunters could stop them. I killed dozens of demons on their way out, but there are a few… less savory souls on the outside than would be preferable. The seven Deadly Sins made it past me, and… Lilith.” He sneered the name like a curse, and it sent a shiver through Naruto, despite not knowing it. Sasuke seemed to hold the baby a bit closer to himself as he heard it, and that sent Iruka’s worry through the roof. What could possibly even scare Sasuke?

“What’s wrong with her? Why is she so bad?” He questioned, and Kakashi sighed and started to pull off blood-soaked clothes, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Iruka and taking his hand when he was sure he wasn't going to make a mess.

“Lilith was the first human soul that Lucifer twisted. She's going to try harder than anyone to start the apocalypse. She is also a larger threat than anyone else. Including myself. There's no hope in anyone killing her without completely draining a demon of blood to boost their power. Azazel didn't share everything with me, but I know she was one target that opening the Devil’s gate was an attempt to release.” Kakashi explained as best he could, and Iruka frowned, worry continuing to increase. He hadn't been told much yet, because everyone was afraid he'd worry too much while pregnant, but he was pretty sure this was more worry now than he'd have had before.

“Oh, Gaara and I can take her down! We've been training really hard! Or maybe we could call in Haku for her! He can do this thing he called smiting and it was-”

Iruka interrupted. “Naruto, have you been hunting with that angel and demon? Weren't you hunting them at first? What if they're-”

“It was Sasuke’s idea! He wanted to hunt the Daeva and-”

“Don't drag me into this, dobe, you were the one that called them-”

“Because that freaky shadow demon was immune to Gaara and I and it was cutting you open!”

“Cutting him open? Naruto, you shouldn't be hunting things that are that dangerous!”

“We didn't think it would-”

“Sasuke said it should be easy to take out because it doesn't like light, but we got distracted and it was night when we got there and-”

“You hunted a shadow demon at night?!”

The door slammed open and all conversation stopped as Tsunade stormed in, scowling. “That is enough out of all of you! Hatake, you can stay. Uzumaki. Uchiha. Out! I will not have you distressing my patient!” She snapped, and Sasuke handed a blinking Byakko to Kakashi before he and Naruto both left without another word.

Iruka sighed as Byakko started to cry, but Kakashi was already on it, bouncing him gently and keeping his eyes on the tiny baby even as he prepared a bottle of formula. It made Iruka’s heart thump painfully, and he was pretty sure he was about to cry, but Tsunade had come over to check his stitches, distracting him.

“You need to stay away from those brats and take it easy until you heal or you're going to pop a stitch. Keep this one on a leash too, no funny business until I remove these stitches.” Tsunade directed the last comment at Kakashi, who nodded but still didn't look up from feeding the child. The blonde woman huffed and shook her head but left the room with that, satisfied Iruka hadn't hurt himself.

Kakashi pushed up his headband and removed his mask as the door closed, pulling his eyes away from Byakko to give Iruka the brightest smile the brunette had ever received from him. He stepped back over to the bed, sitting next to his lover. “We made this.” He whispered, his voice tinged with awe, and Iruka laughed, grinning.

“We definitely made that.” He agreed. The months after were full of paperwork and legality and parenthood rights, but it was all worth it for the little bundle of giggles and grins that grew like a weed and learned so quickly it made all their heads spin. Iruka remembered raising Naruto and was sure their baby advanced faster than the little blonde had, but he was glad for it, really.

He lived with Kakashi and Byakko in the demon’s apartment, and Naruto spent a large amount of the summer there as well, playing with the baby when he wasn't hunting or sparring with Sasuke and Gaara. Iruka had noticed a slight change in the dynamic between his two friends, and he couldn't quite put his finger on the difference, but Gaara seemed more defensive around the demon, and this made Iruka slightly wary. Kakashi brushed it off as being some sort of teenage drama when Iruka brought it up, though, followed by some really great sex, so he didn't push into the issue.

By the time Byakko was three months old, Iruka was ready to teach again, and his kids loved to hear about the baby, some of them even asking him if he was the mommy or daddy when he showed them the pictures of himself and Kakashi with the child. This made him blush and attempt to explain that they were both the dad, which made one of his more headstrong kids, Konohamaru, tell him very determinedly that that was impossible so he must be the mom. The next day he came back and apologized, saying his grandpa had told him that was rude. He still hadn't looked too convinced.

Naruto was almost relieved when school started for him again because of the heat that had been building between Sasuke and Gaara. With Kakashi busy with a new baby, Sasuke had entirely taken over their hunter training, though Shukaku and Kurama were teaching them other things on the side that were truly amazing. Naruto could conjure a storm or forest fire in seconds and Gaara’s manipulation of earth was masterful, both of their talents coming in handy on hunts, but Sasuke continued to push them further in their training. Especially Naruto.

Gaara and Naruto continued to mess around, exploring each other but only going so far, and Naruto also continued to be drawn into situations where he and Sasuke were only partially clothed and panting, but the blonde was growing more confused by the day. Sasuke was always so smug and arrogant, especially when Gaara was around, and the ginger tended to glare at Sasuke more and stick closer to Naruto’s side around him. Naruto didn't even think about the possibility of jealousy factoring into his relationship with either, so it was pretty strange for him to realize that that was what was going on when Gaara pinned him in a spar and, instead of getting up immediately, pressed a firm kiss to his mouth, claiming him in front of the demon.

The blonde was very confused by the display, kissing back out of habit and going lax under Gaara, but Sasuke had snorted and was gone when they looked up. He was gone for three straight days after that, and Kiba had taken up their training, making excuses for him. Realizing what had happened caused a rift between Naruto and Gaara, who had been far too smug about the incident, but Naruto could never stay angry with his friend, and things had smoothed over slightly when Sasuke returned.

By Naruto’s fifteenth birthday, tensions were high amongst the hunters. Taking out so many demons while also dealing with the usual number of other monsters was an issue that was significantly aided by Gaara and Naruto but also very easily seen in the stress Jiraiya held in every line of his body. It was a distraction to Kakashi and Sasuke and other demons of the Resistence, and they still couldn't put a pin in Lilith and figure out how she was trying to start the apocalypse.

By Thanksgiving, a full year since they had started on their quest, they were still barely any further than back then. The thing that had progressed the most was Naruto and Gaara’s control of their abilities, and this was good, but not enough. Never enough.

They ran into their first natural witch in January of the next year. Her name was Hinata, and she was soft-spoken but had a power always at the edge of her gaze. Lavender eyes that seemed able to look right through them were much too old for the youth in her face, and Naruto was struck by her beauty, but not as much as Gaara was.

The ginger boy had grown more aggressive and was far more brutal with his attacks than Naruto, who rarely let the demon fury overtake him. Kurama had said this was also because of the natures of their elemental affinities. But Gaara had seemed rather more calm in the soft presence Hinata exuded, and it was this that brought Naruto to the conclusion that they needed her on their side. He had perhaps been a bit over-zealous in his initial excitement, leaving her blushing and stuttering slightly in embarrassment as he begged her to come home with him, but once he calmed down and she agreed to it, things had started to get better.

It wasn't long after that, just a month of hunting and training later, that they had their first run-in with the Winchester Brothers they'd heard so much about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments on a Hinata/Gaara final relationship? If you are for or opposed, lemme know, yeah? I think she'd be cute to temper him.


	11. Sam and Dean always cause trouble and Naruto helps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've been pretty focused on this fic for a few days, and I don't see my enjoyment of writing it waning anytime soon haha apologies to those more interested in my other works ^-^ hope you enjoy!  
> Oh, one more thing, I pulled Byakko's name off a list of japanese mythical creatures, so it is a white tiger I think, but mostly I just thought it sounded good!

Dean sat in their hotel room, staring at his phone with a frown and then glancing over at the sleeping form of Sam. He had just gotten a call from Bobby, whose old hunting buddy Jiraiya had given them information on the demons that were working to stop the apocalypse and information on those who were working toward it, but only one name had stood out to him.

Ruby was double crossing them.

She had already admitted that she couldn't help get his contract from Lilith, and Dean didn't trust the bitch as far as he could throw her, but he had hoped that… for Sam's sake… she would possibly be telling the truth on whose side she was on. Jiraiya was a man much like Dad, though, and Dean knew he wouldn't trust the word of just anyone. If he had given this knowledge to Bobby, it was from a reputable source. Sighing and scrubbing a hand through his hair in frustration, the man stood, green eyes flashing in anger as he swept out of the room as quietly as he could.

They were stopped in Odessa, Missouri, following a lead on Bela, and it was only 10 on a Friday night, but they were going to get an early start in the morning, and Sam had already gone to sleep. Dean wondered if they should even go along with their planned path after what had happened, unsure if he could trust that they weren’t being tracked by the demon. He cursed under his breath as he got in the Impala and pulled a map of Missouri from the glovebox. They weren’t very far from Jiraiya himself in Maryville, only an hour and a half if they sped, and he thought perhaps they should just go and talk to the old man himself. If his source was still in the area, Dean wanted to interrogate him personally.

Making a decision, he then had to wonder if they should leave right then and make it there by midnight or wait until the morning, but his decision was made for him when Sam’s head poked out of their room, hair messy and face confused and sleepy. Damn it, he hadn’t been quiet enough.

Sam made his way over to the car, looking exhausted from the large amount of excitement that had been shoved into the past 8 months. With so many demons running around, they barely had time to rest between hunts, but someone in the midwest had been helping them out recently, and Dean was pretty sure it was Jiraiya stepping up more. When Sam slid in next to him, Dean noticed their dufflebag was in his hand.

“You think we're going somewhere?” He questioned without thinking about the fact that they very well might.

“Well, you have a map in your hand and a face that says you hate to wake me up, so I thought it was a fair assumption.” Sam sighed, tossing the duffle in the back seat and blinking sleepy eyes.

“How do you feel about visiting Jiraiya before we jump into this mess?” Dean started Baby and pulled out of the parking lot before he even got his answer, and Sam raised his eyebrows.

“Old white haired dude Dad left us with when Bobby was busy? Always letting you read his pervy novels? I'm sure this isn't a social visit.” Sam relaxed back in his seat and let the Led Zeppelin and familiar hum of the engine lull him into a more relaxed state than he ever was in outside the Impala.

“Nope. Checking up on intel from Bobby. We won't be there for a couple hours, though, so get some sleep.” Dean glanced at Sam and snorted, turning up the music a bit. He was already out, and it was a short jaunt over to Maryville. He just hoped they could get the information they needed.

~*~

It was 11 pm on a Friday night, and Iruka sat in his uncle’s living room, watching his son run full tilt across the room into his brother’s arms, where said brother lifted him up and spun him around like an airplane. It was Byakko’s favorite game, and he screeched with laughter, making Hinata smile softly from her position on the couch next to Iruka.

They were going over a book that was older than even Kakashi, translating it slowly, and Iruka was taking notes. Hinata had been a huge help to their researches, and the book they were currently translating was their newest lead into the start of the apocalypse. It was saying something about seals, but they couldn't yet determine if they were actual seals or figurative, and the breaking of the first had to occur in hell, it seemed.

Iruka glanced up again when Byakko let out another screech, and he smiled at the way Sasuke was scowling at the child that clung to his pantleg. Dark grey eyes, half-covered with fluffy brown hair, turned pleading as he looked up at the demon, and he whimpered when Sasuke just continued to stare at him.

“Up!” The boy demanded, one of his first words, and Sasuke rolled his eyes and scooped him up so quickly it brought another high pitched giggle from the child. “S’ke!” He laughed and threw his arms around the demon’s neck momentarily before starting to squirm after less than a minute. “Dow’!”

Sasuke sighed and set him back on his feet, where he wobbled before running back to Naruto, who had watched the whole exchange with a patience that only extended to his nephew. The demon huffed, but a smile jerked at the corners of his mouth, and Iruka quickly looked back down at the notes before he could notice he was being watched.

“Does this say… um… brides of… Christ?” He noticed a seal a little further down and frowned. Nuns? And… killing them? There were so many seals, and they all seemed to be described with horrible acts. Hinata also frowned at the seal he was pointing to.

“I th-think so…” She wasn't as familiar with this dialect. “But that's just one of so many… how are we going to be able to stop them all with so little information on this first one? A righteous man… kills? Or um, tortures someone? In Hell? How would he get to Hell?” She sighed and Iruka sat back, rubbing at the headache that was starting to build in his temples.

Gaara, Kakashi, and Jiraiya had left just an hour ago on a trip to track down another text over the weekend, and this one was supposedly more understandable. Iruka certainly hoped so. Shukaku and Kurama always went where their Jinchuuriki did, so it was just Kurama, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata tonight, and Iruka had hoped Naruto and Sasuke could distract Byakko enough to give him and Hinata the time to decipher at least a starting point for this. They were distracting him, yes, but they were still getting nowhere.

A yip drew Iruka's attention back to the child, who had fallen onto his butt and looked about to cry. Kurama was bouncing around him, though, yipping and nudging him up and distracting him from his momentary pain, and Byakko was back to smiling and running about in no time. Iruka was convinced he had the most perfect child on the planet, so smart and quick to pick up things and full of life. His development was ahead of schedule at 9 months old, but that just made Iruka even more proud.

A knock on the door was not what a hunter home expected at 11:45 at night, and it zapped the good mood from the room in seconds. Sasuke scooped up Byakko, who had been closest to him, and Naruto was across the room to look through the peephole in a flash, while Kurama tailed him. Iruka and Hinata stayed on the couch, but Iruka noticed her drawing a dagger and he himself reached under the couch for the gun holstered to the bottom of it. Less than thirty seconds had passed, but they were all tensed and ready to move in a moment as Naruto checked their guests for suspicion before opening the door just enough to see out.

He frowned as the two men outside grinned at him. “Naruto, you've gotten almost tall.” The shorter man, still a few good inches taller than even Sasuke, teased the blonde with a smirk, and Naruto looked them over for a minute before a grin spread across his face.

“Sam and Dean? You guys just leave for nearly ten years and then show up to visit at midnight and give us all heart attacks?! I haven't seen you since I was six!” He enthused, launching himself at the pair in his excitement and hugging them both before opening the door a little wider to let them in.

Iruka frowned, remembering the two boys that had been slightly younger than him and came around a lot when he was in middle school and high school. Their last name was Winchester, but he hadn't thought about them in so long that when Kakashi had spoken of the Winchester brothers it hadn't crossed his mind until just then that they could possibly be the ones he knew. “This is quite late for a social call.” He put in, standing and leaving the gun on the couch as he walked over to take Byakko from Sasuke and free up the demon’s hands in case of any sort of tricks or traps.

“Well, we were driving through, and we had some hunting advice we needed to ask Jiraiya for, so we figured we’d see if our old room was still available.” Dean eased into the room, eyes scanning the doorways and those present, pausing on Sasuke and then Hinata as his smirk grew. “I didn't expect to find a pretty man and even prettier woman here, though. Is Jiraiya around? Surely he wouldn't spend too long away from this beauty.” Dean and Jiraiya had had one thing very much in common, and that was their appreciation of feminine beauty. Though, Dean's definition of feminine had been a bit looser.

Iruka relaxed when Sam elbowed Dean and gave him the bitch face he'd worn so well even as a ten year old. This was definitely the pair of brothers he remembered. Byakko had been silent and still until Iruka relaxed, but then he grinned as if understanding there was no longer any danger and pulled on Iruka’s ear.

“Dow’, mama, dow’!” He demanded, and Iruka flushed as the eyes of both Winchesters were drawn to him and his squirming child. He sighed and sat him down as Naruto closed the door, and the boy ran directly for Sam, catching himself on his legs and looking up at the tall man. “Ooooh… up, up, up!” He giggled and held his arms up, and Sam looked at Iruka in question before picking up the child.

Byakko had never liked a stranger before, and still refused to be picked up by Hinata, so his open-armed approval of Sam even set Naruto at ease, who laughed and left his position behind the brothers to sit on the couch next to Hinata, casually taking the book from her and closing it with the notes inside.

“Uncle J is out on a hunt, but he should be back in a couple days if you want to stick around. Or Sasuke could help you out, he hunts as well.” The blonde grinned and gestured to the demon that was standing silently slightly in front of Iruka and looking at both boys with assessing eyes. His chin went up slightly when Naruto mentioned his hunting, and Dean remembered that Naruto and Iruka had been out of the loop on the family business. He had to wonder if prettyboy even knew anything or if he was just another big game hunter that would think he knew everything.

Dean’s smirk took on a lazy, flirty edge and he slipped his hands in his pockets. “Oh, another hunter? What do you usually hunt, then… Sasuke?” Iruka rolled his eyes at the answering smirk that unfolded onto Sasuke’s face and slipped back into the kitchen, making eye contact with Sam and Hinata and motioning for them to follow. He filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove, turning back to see Sam making faces at Byakko while Hinata smiled at them.

“So, the Winchester brothers trying to stop the apocalypse are the same ones that teased Naruto into crying when he thought you could kill a vampire with a stake through the heart. I can't say I'm surprised Dean is doing this, but the Sam I remember wanted to be a lawyer.” He mused, watching Sam’s eyes widen with shock before a flash of pain went across his face that he smoothed quickly into a smile.

“Things didn't work out at Stanford, and Dean got himself into a bit of trouble. Brothers have to stick together, right?” He shrugged, and Iruka gave him a soft smile.

“Of course they do. I'm glad you're giving it a chance. Though, the apocalypse is kind of a rough time to start hunting, isn't it?” He turned and opened a cabinet. “Tea?” He offered.

“Um, sure. Chamomile. And what do you mean the apocalypse? We stopped that, Azazel is dead and-”

“You stopped feeling the effects of the dormant demon blood, right?” He interrupted, turning with their tea just in time to see surprise flicker in his eyes. “Naruto was one of Azazel’s… special children. It didn't have time to mature in him fully before things started to really heat up, though, so Azazel sent a demon to give it to him now. Get him ready. You two killed Azazel before he could figure out we had… corrupted his demon, I guess you could say. Sasuke in there is part of a group of demons working to stop the apocalypse from coming about. Thanks to him and Kakashi, we-” Byakko had fallen asleep against Sam’s chest as they were talking, but he was awake and crying in seconds when a crash sounded in the living room, loud cursing audible from the kitchen.

Iruka pulled his baby into his arms and bounced him gently to soothe him on his way to the doorway, and his face was thunderous when he walked in to see Naruto on top of Sasuke on their smashed coffee table. “Hey!” he snapped, noticing Dean was missing. “You woke up Byakko with your rough housing! Go! Outside! Now!” He growled, and both boys gave him startled and cowed looks, Naruto loosening his hands from Sasuke’s shirt and standing up to let the other up. They didn't even dare to glare at each other in the house under Iruka’s wrathful gaze, just heading for the back door, and he didn't care what they had been fighting over if it caused his baby boy to cry.

Kurama was sitting on the couch and flicked his tail. “I tried to warn them. Little brats with their sexual tension. Humans don't make any sense. Dean went upstairs instead of to the bathroom, by the way. I'm sure he's looking through the library.” He yawned like this was of no consequence, and it really wasn't, so the look of bewilderment on Sam’s face was probably his desired effect. Kurama loved to fuck with hunters.

“Alright, Rama, go make sure they don't do anything stupid out there, will you? You can throw some water on them or something if they start to get handsy.” Iruka sighed and bounced Byakko, who was falling back to sleep. He shook his head and headed up the stairs, aware of Hinata and Sam both following him.

He stopped in his old room, now occupied by Naruto’s bed and a crib for Byakko when they needed it. This was why he stopped, laying the baby down and turning on the little nightlight in the corner, then closing the door behind him and turning to the library, where the light was on and Sam and Hinata were standing in the doorway. Dean was inside with a book open on the desk and a sheepish smile on his face as he noticed his audience.

“Busted, huh? I figured so when I heard the fight down there. Sorry about that, too, didn't know Naruto was the jealous type.” He grinned and tried to play down the fact that he was just caught snooping, getting a sigh from Sam and a giggle from Hinata.

“Naruto isn't usually the one getting jealous, so I'm sure it was Sasuke egging him on.” She hummed, smiling softly and getting a smile from Iruka.

“Oh, I'm sure it was, and that demon brat is going to be replacing that table tomorrow and cleaning it up after he and Naruto can get their hands off each other.” He huffed, rolling his eyes and stepping into the library to pull a book off the shelf. “If you're looking for information on the apocalypse, this journal is full of most of the notes we have on it. It isn't a lot, though.” He offered it to Dean. “Bobby called you, right?”

Dean hid his surprise well and nodded, taking the journal full of names of demons and what seals they had deciphered. “Yeah, he said you had information from a source on the inside… Did you say demon? Is that where you got your list of demons involved?” He wasn't sure he could trust it if the info was from a demon as well, but Iruka snorted at him.

“Sasuke is hardly a demon. He undermines Hell at every turn and has been our best ally on that end. The names themselves come from a demon by the name of Crowley. Our inside man. He was working with the resistance from the beginning, but he does it as Lilith’s right hand man.” Iruka opened the book in Dean’s arms and showed him the notes on Lilith, the first demon ever created. “Lilith is bad news. We've been trying to stop her before she can start this, but we don't even know what her first move will be, so we're trying to take out as many of her demons as we can. Demons by the names Ruby, Itachi, Meg, and Tobi are the main worries under Lilith. Demons we've gained for the resistance are listed here, as Shikamaru, Crowley, Kiba, and Zabuza. Naruto is on a bit of a crusade to save the demons he can.” He had noticed the tension in both boys as he mentioned the name Ruby, but he kept going until Sam and Dean had finished their non-verbal argument. “I take it you know a name or two on here.”

Dean’s eyes snapped back to the two lists and he cleared his throat. “Yeah, uh, Meg we took out last year and Ruby has been… playing us.” He frowned and the look of denial on Sam’s face said they were not on the same page there.

“We don't know that Dean, she was going to help-”

“No Sam, she wasn't. She told me. I'm going to die!” He snapped, and Sam’s face fell into the worst case of puppy eyes Iruka had ever seen.

“She isn't on the side of the resistance, Sam. She’s killed more of them than any other demon playing for the other team.” Iruka said softly, and Sam looked torn. He had really believed she was on their side. She had said she was going to save Dean. He should have known not to trust a demon.

“My best friend became a demon forty years ago. His name was Kabuto, and he was a healer before that. I found out after he tried to kill me. We can't trust the people we think we can.” Hinata put in softly, and when all eyes in the room turned to her, she dropped her gaze to the floor, shoulders bunched. Iruka sighed and placed an arm around her back.

“No, we can't. And we have to place more trust than is healthy in those we know we can.” He met green eyes then brown. “I trust you both. Not just because I knew you when you were elementary students, but Kakashi and Jiraiya have trusted you and Bobby with as much information as they have. If you need anything, we'll help you. We're working toward the same goal. As for the room, if you don't mind sharing a bed for a night, you can use it. We got rid of the twins and put in a king in 2004.”

He knew Jiraiya had expected him to move into the room after that, but he hadn't until he was pregnant, and then had moved out altogether just months later. He just didn't sleep as well when away from those he needed to protect. Learning Kurama was actually an elemental spirit sworn to protect his brother had helped that a lot.

Dean grimaced and shrugged. It wasn't like they hadn't shared a bed plenty as children. “Better than getting charged extra for checking into a hotel so late.”

Sam nodded. “Thanks, Iruka. We'll get out of your hair tomorrow so Dean can stop causing trouble and we can go back to our hunt.” He grinned at the innocent expression his brother pulled.

“Hey, I didn't do anything I don't normally do. Naruto is a spitfire.” he wiggled his eyebrows and Iruka grimaced.

“No, none of that. Go on, take showers if you want and go to bed. You too, Hinata. I'm going to make sure the brats didn't kill each other.” He huffed and ushered them all out of the library, mothering them the way he always did best.

Sam was still visibly tense after the talk of Ruby, and Dean was no better off, but they went without complaint and Dean claimed the first shower. Hinata just smiled softly at Iruka and made her bed on the couch for the night as she always did when they had such a late night, and the brunette stepped outside to find Sasuke and Naruto sparring in the dim light of the waning moon. Kurama looked up when he came out and chuffed softly before heading back in, and Iruka took a seat on the steps to watch the boys as the tiredness from the day washed over him.

Their back yard wasn't large for the area they lived in, but it was unused for anything but spars, and the grass was soft and fresh in the new spring of February. Naruto was so frustrated with Sasuke, though, that he didn't even care to notice this as he shoved the bastard’s face into the ground. He growled and took one second too many to appreciate the view, giving Sasuke time to kick his legs out from under him and send them both down hard, wrestling for the top position. Sasuke came out on top, and Naruto bared his teeth in anger, still struggling as Sasuke kept him thoroughly pinned.

“Bastard.” The blonde spat. “Fuck you! You think you're so superior! Well, you aren't!” He growled, panting and continuing to strain against the tight grip the demon had on him.

“Dobe. Do you always get this worked up when someone flirts with another person?” Sasuke was grinning way too smugly for someone panting as hard as he was.

“I don't care about you flirting! You're just a bastard!” Naruto snapped back, and stopped struggling momentarily. “Flirt with whoever you want to, but don't get jealous when I'm with Gaara, then!”

“Green isn't your color, dumbass, so just admit you were jealous and I'll let you up.” Sasuke smirked and leaned down to catch a drop of sweat on his tongue before it could roll down Naruto’s neck.

“Never, teme! I'm not j-jealous!” He insisted, but stuttered at the feel of Sasuke’s tongue on him. The bastard always knew just how to turn his anxious energy into arousal, and Naruto’s body was always betraying him.

“Are you sure? I'd bet Dean Winchester is great in bed. I could go seduce him right now. If you aren't jealous.” Sasuke chuckled in his ear and pressed open-mouthed kisses to his neck, sending shivers through the blonde.

“Not… ugh… jealous! Bastard! I-” he gasped as Sasuke caught his earlobe in his teeth, grazing it and making Naruto shudder. He had a painful erection by now, and his breathing was speeding up. “Fuck you! You knew that would make me fucking jealous! You always have to get the best of everyone, teme!” He finally admitted, back to struggling against the hold.

A dark chuckle in his ear had him whimpering as Sasuke shifted so that their clothed erections were pressed together and he could press a rough kiss onto Naruto's mouth. “Of course I knew that would make you jealous. That was the point.” Sasuke huffed between kisses, and Naruto felt a hot spike of anger surge through him, giving him the burst needed to flip them over so that he held Sasuke down and pressed against him, kissing him just as roughly.

“Bastard!” He growled, nipping down a smooth pale neck, and Sasuke groaned as he sucked a dark mark just under his ear.

“Dumbass!” The demon spat out between gritted teeth, both boys rubbing themselves against the other for friction.

“Asshole!” Naruto panted, hands slipping up Sasuke's shirt to explore the muscles there and tease his nipples.

“Idiot!” Sasuke huffed, running his hands up Naruto’s thighs to grip his ass and press them more firmly together.

The boys came almost simultaneously, grunting and ceasing their movements to pant and stare at each other, faces flushed and brains scattered. Naruto didn't know how that had even progressed the way it did. It left him shaking and slightly confused, and he could see the same confusion in Sasuke’s black eyes as he leaned down and caught the demon’s mouth in a kiss. This one wasn't rough and hungry like their usual kisses, but more of an exploration, and it ratcheted the tension right back up until Naruto had to pull back to breath.

“I think we should…”

“Yeah. Shower. Sleep.”

“Right.” Naruto stood and let Sasuke do the same in a parody of earlier after their fight, but this time both stole glances at the other and felt more confused than angry. It wasn't until they were almost to the door that they noticed a sleep Iruka passed out against the railing of the steps, and Naruto felt slightly embarrassed but mostly just guilty to have made him stay out so long. He really hoped he didn't get a cold, and neither said anything as he scooped his brother up and carried him inside and upstairs. They could hear someone in the bathroom, so after putting Iruka in bed they headed into the library to relax.

That was where Iruka found them in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos always appreciated! :D


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